'INVISIBLE' MAN CHARGED AFTER GUST OF WIND BLEW UP HIS LOIN CLOTH

[Standard Dave]

Nottingham Evening Post



09:00 - 21 February 2008

A Man who exposed himself while wearing a loin cloth in Old Market Square has been ordered by a judge to keep his trousers on.

Paul Rooke was wearing just a pair of shorts he had adapted in the hope it might attract women as walked around Hockley in September last year.

But the wind caught a flap of material at the front of his shorts, which exposed his private parts to several women.


He was arrested and admitted a charge of outraging public decency at Nottingham Crown Court.

Samantha Shallow, prosecuting, said the 41-year-old had been wearing tracksuit bottoms over the top of the loin cloth as he travelled from London to Nottingham, but removed them when he arrived.

She said: "Three women saw the defendant walk past them. They all described his clothing and a small amount of wind lifting up his clothing.

"One woman noticed a woman walking past pushing a pushchair. They were very shocked but were concerned who else might see."

The women said Rooke, of Stamford Hill, Hackney was looking at them in an "intimidating" way and reported him to a police community support officer when they saw him again in Old Market Square.

Ms Shallow said: "He was asked why he was walking around without trousers.

"His reply was that women didn't look at him when he wears trousers and he dressed in that way so women look at him."

Rooke, a self-confessed exhibitionist, claimed he did not want anyone to see what was under his loin cloth and blamed the wind for his wardrobe malfunction.

Arwen Vervoorts, defending, said: "He was feeling quite invisible in life and those sort of shorts would attract people to look at him."

He was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and banned from appearing anywhere in the UK dressed in a way that is likely to cause distress or outrage.

"In other words... you keep your trousers on," said Judge Michael Stokes QC.

"I always thought people came to Nottingham for the shopping, not to expose themselves and upset some of the citizens of Nottingham in this fashion. If you ever do anything like this again you will go to prison."

The court heard Rooke had previously been given a three-year community rehabilitation order for indecent exposure in 2002, although full details of the offence were not given in court.

Speaking to the Post after the case, Rooke said: "The only factually correct statement from one of the witnesses is that I have long legs. I abhor any sort of offensive behaviour towards women."

[armsmaster270]

Can u say DUH

[gozling]

The court heard Rooke had previously been given a three-year community rehabilitation order for indecent exposure in 2002, although full details of the offence were not given in court.


so he has a prior for this type of behavior, it was not examined thoroughly and so he then proceeds to get a verbal warning? He was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and banned from appearing anywhere in the UK dressed in a way that is likely to cause distress or outrage. does this mean he was given 9 months then it was suspended?.. i didnt understand that part

ok...
anyone else see something wrong with that or is it just me.

[Standard Dave]

A suspected sentence in the UK is one where the court passes a sentence that will be served should he be convicted of another offence in the time that it is suspended for in this case 18 months.

[gozling]

A suspected sentence in the UK is one where the court passes a sentence that will be served should he be convicted of another offence in the time that it is suspended for in this case 18 months.

so its sort of like a probation here....

what confuses me is that he has a history of this... and gets probation... funny or not there is something seriously wrong with this guy

[Standard Dave]

We have no space in the jails to put more people away so everyone gets suspended sentences, community orders, probation, fines, told off, or worse bound over to keep the peace.

[gozling]

lol sounds like here

[Ducky]

Bet a better deterrent would have been if the women who saw would have pointed, laughed, and made comments and hand gestures indicating an incredibly small 'offensive part.'