Predatory sex offender jailed for using mobile phone to film up customer's skirt at Holland and Barrett store in Leeds

Patrick Clarke's offending came to light when police officers found the disturbing footage on a device which he was forbidden from possessing.

Leeds Crown Court heard Clarke also smiled as he exposed himself to young women in Hyde Park during a separate incident.

The 64-year-old pervert was returned to prison for 20 months.

Clarke has a long history of committing sex offences against women in Leeds and was once described by a judge as "a sexual menace to the public".

Clarke was released from custody on licence in June last year, partway through a sentence for sexual assault on young women.He is the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which bans him from owning a mobile phone capable of recording video.

Police officers went to his home on November 10 last year to make checks that he was complying with his SHPO.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said Clarke told the officers he did not own a phone which breached the order.

The defendant then accepted that it was his and that he had failed to declare it.

Clarke told the officers he had bought the device in the Merrion Centre in Leeds.

The officers examined the phone and found a video of an unknown female in a shop.

The device had been used to film underneath her skirt and her underwear was visible in the footage.

Mr Bradshaw said Clarke was also clearly visible in the clip.

Clarke was arrested and when interviewed told officers he had made the video in a Holland and Barrett store when he had gone to buy some pills.

Clarke then went on to commit an offence of sexual exposure on Moorland Road, Hyde Park, on January 28 this year.

The court heard how he smiled at a group of woman as he exposed himself.

Clarke, of Morrit Drive, Halton, Leeds, pleaded guilty to voyeurism, sexual exposure and three breaches of a SHPO.

Joseph Hudson, mitigating, said: "Mr Clarke is clearly a man who struggles with his sexual urges."

The barrister said the offences were carried out at a time when Clarke was trying to come off his medication to control his urges.

He added: "He has learned that attempting to come off that medication causes far more trouble than good."

Jailing Clarke, Recorder Abdul Iqbal QC said: "This is persistent offending against a background of sexual offending in the past."

Clarke was previously locked up in 2019 for approaching two women in Leeds city centre from behind before sexually assaulting them.

During one of the attacks the victim turned around to see Clarke smiling at her.

Clarke went up to her from behind and grabbed between her legs with his hand.

He then walked off, leaving the woman in shock.

She described in a victim personal statement how she felt "panicked" and "creeped out" by the attack.

Clarke targeted the second victim around two hours later.

The 23-year-old woman was walking to university across Woodhouse Moor when she noticed Clarke walking towards her.

Clarke walked past her but two seconds later went up to her and pinched her bottom.