Man who exposed himself in Leeds park said he was 'having a wee' Leeds Crown Court told

Andrew Charles Siberry was followed by a woman into the shrubs of the Barley Hill Road park in Garforth, who then contacted the police when she thought he had been masturbating.

The 56-year-old appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court where he admitted a charge of outraging public decency by exposing himself.

He had initially denied the charge and was expected to stand trial but changed his plea to guilty.

However, he maintained he had gone into the undergrowth just to urinate, saying he was suffering from urinary bowel incontinence.

Outlining the case for the prosecution, Harriet Williams told the court that Siberry had been sat alone on the bench in the play park on the afternoon of August 21 last year.

A grandmother with her two young children and a female with her two younger cousins said Siberry had been sat sucking on a lollipop and "did not like the way he had been looking at the children".

When he got up to walk into the bushes one of the women followed him because of his odd behaviour.

She then saw Siberry from behind with his trousers down by his knees and peering over the top of the bushes.

She said she saw his right arm "moving rapidly", believing him to be masturbating.

When challenged he told her he was "just having a wee".

As Siberry went to leave the park the woman took a photo of him and contacted the police.

Mitigating, Andrew Vickers told the court: "This is a very unusual offence.

"Mr Siberry has never disputed 95 per cent of the facts in this case.

"He was in the playground and did have his trousers around his knees.

"He did expose himself, although nobody actually saw him other than the witness who saw him from behind.

"If you outrage public decency, causing two or more people to be alarmed by obscene behaviour, then you are guilty of the offence.

"Mr Siberry has reflected on his position, that's why he has pleaded guilty."

Mr Vickers told the magistrates that Siberry, of Greensway, Garforth had not previously been in trouble until last summer when he admitted

multiple charges of stealing baby milk worth over £1,300 from various supermarkets, and a charge of making off without payment from a petrol

station.

He was eventually jailed for 25 weeks in September after breaching the suspended sentence he received by committing further thefts.

A probation report is now being prepared and he is expected to be sentenced for the park incident on October 14.

The magistrate told him: "It's more serious because of the locality and that children were present.

"It could have been more serious if a child had come across you but we are still treating this very seriously."

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Thank you

Laura Collins