Bus sex act pervert jailed
MAN HAS HISTORY OF EXPOSING HIMSELF
A serial flasher who is banned from public transport has been jailed for performing sex acts during two city centre bus journeys.
Former seaman Gary Norman is prohibited from travelling on buses and trains, under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
A serial flasher who is banned from public transport has been jailed for performing sex acts during two city centre bus journeys.
Former seaman Gary Norman is prohibited from travelling on buses and trains, under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, due to his history of exposing himself to fellow passengers.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 46-year-old pervert had been back on the streets for just a week from his last prison sentence, for similar offending, when he shocked women bus users in Sunderland during two separate trips.
Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court during the first journey, towards Park Lane, in October 2017, Norman had briefly engaged a lone female in conversation and then sat near her on the bus.
Mr Bunch said: “She was able to see he kept looking in her direction. He had exposed his genitals and was masturbating.”
The court heard as the woman approached the doors to leave the bus, Norman came up behind her.
Mr Bunch added: “He had zipped his trousers back up.
“He then stood directly behind her and rubbed himself up against her.”
During a second journey, just three days later, Norman targeted a 17-year-old who was travelling alone.
Mr Bunch told the court: “She described the defend- ant staring at her as he walked up the bus and she immediately felt uncomfortable.
“As he sat down, he turned to look at her.
“She formed the opinion he was attempting to watch her out of the corner of his eye.”
The court heard it was as the bus approached Chester Road the girl noticed Norman was masturbating.
Mr Bunch added: “She immediately jumped up, shouted at him that he was a pervert and ran to the bus driver and told him what the defendant was doing and said he should be removed from the bus.
“She said she was both really angry and very frightened and upset.”
The court heard Norman left the bus and went towards the grounds of the nearby hospital.
He was later linked to both bus journeys through CCTV footage.
Norman admitted exposure and was found guilty by magistrates of sexual assault in relation to the first bus journey.
He admitted outraging public decency and breach of a sexual harm prevention order in relation to the second journey.
The court heard Norman has been before the courts for similar offending on multiple occasions in the past.
Judge Amanda Rippon sentenced Norman, of no fixed address, to 31 months behind bars and issued a fresh order to keep Norman off public transport for the next five years.
He will be released immediately due to the time he has spent on remand.
The judge told him: “You have at least six previous court appearances for exposure or outraging public decency and only been released a week before these offences were committed.”
Judge Rippon added: “You are not allowed to travel on public transport. If you do, you will be in breach of the order and liable to up to five years’ imprisonment.”
“He then stood directly behind her and rubbed himself up against her” PROSECUTOR