Leeds chef Nathan Flesher flashed at and masturbated in front of women on way to work at Skelton Lake services

Nathan Flesher, 31, of Broom Terrace, Belle Isle, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday for the three times he exposed himself and masturbated at women near Temple Newsam.

Prosecuting, Jade Edwards said that Flesher was working at the Ramada Hotel by Skelton Lake services at the time and cycled to work.

On June 17 2021 at around 2.10pm a 21-year-old woman on a bike asked Flesher for directions to Garforth. He said he could see up her skirt, even though she was wearing shorts, and then offered to walk with her as his work was in the direction of Garforth.

Flesher then took her to a wooded area and said: “It’s so warm today. My balls are sweaty.”

The woman asked to leave the wooded area and then as they were walking the woman noticed that Flesher had one of his hands down his trousers for 10 minutes. Flesher “moved his hand up and down”.

Ms Edwards said that the woman “tried to keep calm and not show nerves as the defendant was scaring her”.

She then turned around and found Flesher had his “penis and balls out and was messing with them”. The woman “didn’t know where she was” due to the shock. Flesher then stood in the middle of the cycle lane with his shorts around his ankles and masturbated while looking straight at the woman, the court was told.

Ms Edwards said: “She wanted to take a photograph to show police but was so scared she couldn’t work her phone.

"She recalls in her statement she had no idea what the defendant’s intentions were.”

The woman was able to get away and then found two other cyclists and told them what had happened. The two said that she was brought in the opposite direction of Garforth by Flesher.

Ms Edwards said: "It left her feeling extremely vulnerable. It will have a massive impact on who she trusts.”

The court was told that on September 22, 2021, a 45-year-old professional dog walker was walking five dogs in the woodland when she saw Flesher “pulling” at his penis. She shouted at the dogs to let Flesher know that she was there but he continued “pulling it at speed”. She was “stunned by what was happening” and “scared for her safety”.

On October 4, 2021, a 42-year-old woman was walking her dog in the wooded area when she realised that Flesher was following her. When she heard him say “excuse me” she turned around and found Flesher masturbating. She suffered “significant alarm and distress”.

On all three occasions CCTV showed Flesher arriving at work shortly after the incidents.

Flesher pleaded guilty to two of the counts of indecent exposure and was found guilty of the incident involving the 21-year-old following a trial.

Sentencing Flesher, Recorder Jason Pitter KC said: “This is an offence that is so serious… there must be a penal element to reflect the punishment.”

Flesher was given a nine month custodial sentence suspended for two years and ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from returning to Temple Newsam and given a sexual harm prevention order that stops him approaching women.