Man sentenced to 18 months for indecent exposure

Saturday 16 December 2017

A 51 year old man has been sent to 18 months in prison for indecently exposing himself to teenage girls.

Kevin Lochhead from Glasgow, was sentenced by Jersey’s Royal Court despite being found guilty of the offence at a Magistrate’s Court trial, as the Magistrate felt her powers were, “insufficient to deal with the defendant’s extensive history of similar offences.”

Around 20:30 on Saturday 8 July 2017, Lochhead unzipped his shorts and urinated in an open area near the children’s playground at Westmount. He was seen by three teenage girls aged 15, who were sitting on the swings approximately seven metres away from him. He left when one of them shouted, “..what are you doing?”

Picture credit: Google Street View

During sentencing on Friday 15 December, the Royal Court heard how one of the teenage girls had recognised Lochhead as she had previously witnessed him indecently exposing himself at West Park bathing pool in 2015, after which he was handed an 18 month prison sentence.

The 51-year-old claims he had drunk eight cans of lager and was caught “short”. He said he found a place that he believed “concealed him.”

Prosecuting, HM Attorney General Robert MacRae, told the court Lochhead had previous convictions of indecent exposure – which included masturbation.

Presiding, Deputy Bailiff Tim Le Cocq – sitting with Jurats Robert Christensen and Geoffrey Grime – was told a social inquiry report stated Lochhead posed a, “…high risk of sexual re-offending. (…) He’s sexually motivated by an unhealthy interest in young girls and exposing himself.”

The Attorney General said Lochhead was a, “…a compulsive and prolific paedophile.”

The prosecution asked for a sentence of two years in prison, and a restraining order which included a sanction that Lochhead could not be within 10 meters of children’s play areas.

Defence advocate James Bell, argued this sentence request was, “…excessive and overly harsh in all circumstances.” He urged the court to consider a verdict based on the one conviction and not on the defendant’s history.

Advocate Bell told the court his client had “felt compelled to plead not guilty." He explained this was, “…due to an allegation of masturbation, which the Magistrate’s Court did not prove during the trial.” He added, “…(Lochhead) did not want to go to trial but had no choice as he was accused of something he did not do.”

The defence did not oppose the restraining order but suggested a shorter custodial sentence of no more than 15 months, or a community based alternative given the 85 days the defendant has spent on remand.

Advocate Bell told the court, “…the long time in custody is a punishment in itself, (he’s) already heard the clang of the prison gate.”

Handing down the sentence, the Deputy Bailiff told Lochhead, “…you denied the offence and it went to trial. This meant the victims had to give evidence in court and endured the stresses of the trial.

“We have a duty to protect young people from this behaviour. (…) This is a serious conviction and must be met with significant sentencing.”

Lochhead will spend the next 18 months in prison, and is ordered not to be around young people or children’s play areas for a minimum of five years.