An elderly widower faces jail after being caught ‘rude-handed’ …when exposing himself to a family wearing knee-length boots, suspenders and frilly red knickers. Donald Thompson, 70, opened his long mac and flashed at the occupants of a BMW 5-Series estate as the driver was travelling past with his wife and two children.
The unnamed driver, 50, was shocked to see an old man dressed in women’s clothing with a “protrusion hanging out.” At Sefton Magistrates’ Court Thompson, from Seaforth, Merseyside, was convicted of exposure and warned he could be jailed next month. He admitted dressing up in women’s clothing but denied exposing his genitals.
But the driver said: “In my 50 years of being in male changing rooms at the gym, and seeing myself as well, it looked like two balls – human genitalia – they all come in all shapes and sizes and it was quite visible.”
The incident occurred at 7pm on 14th October 2023 when the family were on their way to a birthday party in New Brighton on The Wirral.
The driver told the court: “There was a lamp post on the left-hand side of the road and my attention was drawn to a movement as if something or somebody was going to step out into the road.
“I pressed on the brakes thinking it could be a child or an animal but I saw a man step forward open his jacket.
“To my shock it was a gentleman over 60 with grey hair, wearing long leather boots, stockings red or pink underwear and what looked to be a protrusion hanging out. He was exposing himself basically.
“His underwear was either pulled down or else he did not have knickers on and he had a frilly suspender belt. I had children in the car who were quite distressed by the whole thing.”
The driver’s wife said: “I saw a man step out under a light, open his long mac and I could see thigh length boots, stockings, suspenders and it was a red pink frilly item, like suspenders.”
She was asked if anything else caught her attention and she said “His genitals. Balls and penis. He was well built, had a round face and was a quite chunky man.”
Prosecutor Nigel Beeson said: “This gentleman intentionally exposed his genitals intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress.
“His dress was slightly unusual as he was described as wearing a dark jacket, glasses, boots up to the knee and red or pink stockings. Given that they had children in the car they then called the police.
“Police soon track this gentleman down and was asked to confirm the pink stockings and suspenders and he states it was an accurate description of himself. But he states that at no point did he expose his penis in anyway.
“He had his coat zipped up and did not open it up at any point. He was asked if he was wearing underwear under his dress. He confirmed that he was. He said that he did not know why someone said he exposed himself.”
Giving evidence Thompson who had a previous caution for exposure from 2011 said he had started cross-dressing about 40 years ago but insisted it was “unusual” for him to go out in women’s clothing.
“I normally go to the park but I got banned,” he said without any further explanation. ‘’I was sat on a boulder and I fell off it. I got up and a plain police car came and they put me in the car.
“They said ‘Oh, you have got red tights on,’ took me to the police station and told me to strip. That is the only reason anybody seen anything.”
His lawyer Quentin Neal said: “This was a fleeting glance, it was dark and the vehicle that the family re traveling in has dipped headlights. They come across something they have not come across before, a very unusual set of circumstances.
“They had an awful lot to take in in those two or three seconds. Yes there were frilly knickers, suspenders and stockings and they may have seen a protrusion – but they are mistaken that it is a penis and balls.”
Bailing Thompson for reports, District Judge Timothy Boswell said: “Both witnesses gave detailed descriptions of the man and what he was wearing and those descriptions are accurate in almost all of their details.
“It shows that they were capable of accurately observing Donald Thompson even if they only saw him for a few seconds.
“I am sure that they have got it right when they say him step out, deliberately open his coat and expose his genitals as they were passing in the car.
“I am sure that he intended others would see his genitals and be distressed by that. All sentencing options are open, financial penalty, community order or a custodial sentence.”