A man with a string of convictions for sexual offences was caught performing a sex act at a bus stop on his birthday. Serial flasher Andrew Fearnley-Hill now has 12 convictions following the incident of indecent exposure.
On the latest occasion, Fearnley-Hill, 52, was spotted by police officers passing in their car "naked from the waist down" as he performed a sex act on a busy Warrington street.
Liverpool Crown Court was told on Monday that the police officers saw him stood in the bus stop in Folly Lane, Bewsey, just before midnight on July 2. He was holding his penis, while his trousers and underwear were on the pavement next to him.
The court heard that he could be seen by drivers, pedestrians and residents living nearby, reports the LiverpoolECHO. Police believed he was under the influence of alcohol as he was "slurring his words and smelled strongly intoxicated".
He was arrested and taken to hospital. Fearnley-Hill, of Lovely Lane, has 17 previous convictions for 26 offences - including seven for exposure, three for outraging public decency and one for sexual assault. Jeremy Rawson, mitigating, told the court that his client's latest flashing incident "came about because he had taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol".
He had "no recollection" of the events, the court heard. Fearnley-Hill, who appeared via video link from HMP Altcourse, was described as a "rather sad individual" who has no partner or children, whose parents have died and who has no contact with his siblings.
Mr Rawson added: "It was his birthday and he had had a lot to drink. He simply regressed to type, unfortunately."
Fearnley-Hill admitted indecent exposure and was jailed for a year. However, this will not affect his current scheduled release date in February 2023 after he was recalled on licence to serve the remainder of a previous term of imprisonment.
Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall said: "You offered no explanation for your actions under interview after being arrested. You said you had had too much to drink, in combination with your prescription.
"The explanation can be deduced that you are a serial offender for exposing yourself in public. This is your 12th conviction related to exposing yourself in public.
"I have no authority to make this sentence consecutive to your current sentence, something I would have done had I had the power to do so. You pose a high risk of contact sexual offending.
"You live a lonely existence with limited, if any, support. The offence is aggravated very significantly by your previous convictions and because the offence was committed on licence.
"I'm perfectly satisfied that only a custodial sentence can be justified. You must now understand that if you keep committing these offences, you will simply keep getting prison sentences."
Fearnley-Hill was also handed a 10-year notification requirement and told to pay a victim surcharge.
