Former Leeds City Council worker handed restraining order to keep him out of Tesco

Andrew Siberry was jailed for 19 months in February for a series of offences, including stealing from the shops, being verbally abusive to staff, urinating outside premises, entering one store having soiled himself, exposing himself and masturbating in public.

The 59-year-old was returned to Leeds Crown Court this week under the slip rule, to formally put the order in place having already been sentenced. He appeared via video link from HMP Leeds where he is serving his jail term.

The order bans him from Tesco Express on Long Meadow Gate, Garforth Garden Centre on Selby Road and Fairburn Convenience Store on Fairburn Drive. He is also banned from approaching members of the public to ask for money or asking to borrow their mobile phones, unless it is a genuine emergency. He is also forbidden to be in a "state of undress that could cause alarm or distress".

Former Leeds City Council architect Siberry, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, had previously tried to have himself sectioned, but claimed he was told he was not ill enough. But his problems were exacerbated by his use of alcohol and crack cocaine.

He was jailed in 2020 after being found in the bushes at Garforth’s Barley Hill Road play park with his trousers down. In January of this year he was given a community order for regularly verbally abusing and harassing staff and customers at the Tesco Express. He regularly tried to steal from the store or demand a taxi be called for him. He twice urinated outside the shop and on two occasions, his shorts fell down, exposing himself to passers by.

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Siberry, who had been living at Newfield Crescent in Garforth, also tried to buy a lighter in the nearby Fairburn Convenience Store, but turned violent after being refused service because of his demeanour, and took a swing at the worker behind the counter. He was also seen by a horrified female dog walker masturbating on the grass near a ginnel connecting Ninelands Lane and Fairburn Drive.

But having been warned to stay out of trouble, he began his similar pattern of offending again two weeks later and was eventually jailed by Judge Robin Mairs. Giving him the five-year restraining order this week, Judge Mairs told him: "I hope you will tackle the drink and drugs problems you have."