de Menezes Judge

smithdown · June 12, 2007

Judge denies exposing himself to woman on train

Alexandra Topping

Tuesday June 12, 2007

The Guardian

One of Britain's most senior judges exposed himself to the same woman twice on a crowded commuter train, a court heard yesterday.

Lord Justice Richards, 56, exposed himself to the woman on two separate occasions on the overland train from Raynes Park, south-west London, to Waterloo, the City of Westminster magistrates court heard. The woman, a city worker in her 20s, identified the judge in a video parade after following him and taking photographs of him with her mobile phone.

Peter Wright QC, prosecuting, said the judge had exposed himself for the first time on October 16 last year in a packed rush-hour train. He said: "In that confined space, as she reached the bottom of the page [of the newspaper] which she was reading, she noticed the man opposite had his trousers open and his penis was exposed. It was not erect but flaccid."

The victim, giving evidence, said the man had "boxed" her into a corner and other passengers could not see what he was doing. She described the man as wearing a long tan trench coat and a smart suit and said he was "well-dressed and presentable".

She said: "He looked like a kind man, which is why I initially thought it was an accident. I didn't want to draw attention to the situation, to me or the gentleman, so I carried on reading the paper."

She believed the man had rearranged his genitalia during the journey. "I did not see him actively adjust himself, but now and again I would check to see that I was not imagining things," she said. "There were different levels of exposure - fully exposed or slightly exposed."

Believing the incident was accidental, she did not go to the police, but a similar incident happened eight days later on October 24, she told the court. She was standing in her usual place on the train, when the same man got on at Wimbledon. "I think he recognised me because he made his way over to where I was in the carriage," she said. "I glanced and saw he had exposed himself in the same manner as last time."

The woman took out her telephone and the man moved away. After leaving the train, she followed him and took photos as he was leaving Waterloo station.

Two days later, she claimed she saw the same man standing next to a blonde woman in her 20s. She did not know if he had exposed himself, but said: "I couldn't see any reason for him to stand so close to her. He put his bag down and ruffled his coat."

She reported the incidents to police and assisted in a sting operation in January with British Transport police. She spotted the man she claimed had flashed her and Lord Justice Stephens - who ruled in the case of Jean Charles de Menezes - was arrested. He admitted to owning a raincoat and backpack, but said he was "a little surprised" and it was a case of mistaken identity.

According to Mr Wright, when questioned he said: "I am a judge I know whose responsibility is not just as an ordinary member of society, but also in my judicial capacity it is conduct I would not engage in." He pleaded not guilty to two counts of exposure.

Recalling his police interview, arresting officer Adrian Watts told the court he had said: "It would be a very extraordinary thing to do, to have walked on to a crowded commuter rail service with one's penis hanging out. If that had happened I would have expected somebody to point it out."

The case continues.

clicko

It's a fit up.

Cobs · June 12, 2007