Pervert who masturbated in public view from his Leeds home spared custody
He would strip naked to get people's attention
A pervert who masturbated towards a teenage girl from his garden was only prosecuted four years later after repeating his sickening behaviour.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the girl was "not believed" after contacting police about the behaviour of Stephen Bird.
The former insurance worker appeared in court this week where he admitted two counts of indecent exposure from 2020 and 2024.
He had been in his garden in 2020 when the young girl noticed his hands down his shorts. He then started mastubating.
But after reporting it to police, no action was taken until August 2024 when he was again seen several times naked in his home, standing at a patio window to get attention. He then pointed to his penis when one person noticed him.
The court heard the 69-year-old has since moved from his suburban north-Leeds home back to his native Liverpool.
Mitigating, Rukhshanda Hussain said he had worked in insurance for many years, but his wife died in 2019 and then Covid hit.
She added: “He has certainly learned his lesson through these proceedings.
“He wants to get on with his life.”
However, she said a questionable report into his attitude was due to the difficulties he has had in reconciling his behaviour, adding: “He is not completely ready to understand what he did. He is not going to do it again.”
Judge Christopher Batty told him: “You have led a blameless life, then you did this. It’s serious.”
He gave him a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation days with probation, and a seven-year restraining order to keep him away from his old street.
He was also put on the sex offender register for seven years and given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to prevent him removing his clothing in public.