Yorkshire sex offender jailed after he was caught in mini-skirt with no pants in breach of order

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 11 how Colin Norfolk, aged 67, of Richmond Road, Sheffield, had been made subject to an SHPO after he had accumulated repeated convictions for indecent exposure.

James Baird, prosecuting, said the SHPO prohibited Norfolk from wearing clothing that facilitated the indecent exposure of his genitals in a public place.

Mr Baird said between February and September, 2020, police had struggled to locate and monitor Norfolk at his flat and when he had been seen he was obstructive, so a camera was installed outside his home to capture his movements.

Mr Baird said: “He was seen on the camera and he was arrested leaving the flat wearing a coat, a hat and a short, floral mini-skirt that came just above his knees and flip-flops.

“When he was taken into custody it was found he was not wearing underwear.”

The SHPO also prohibited Norfolk from possessing devices capable of securing images without authorisation and that such devices should be available for inspection and he should co-operate with police.

Mr Baird said police had initially attended Norfolk’s home on October 18, 2020, and when he failed to answer the door the camera later showed him leaving the property which proved he had been present during the visit, according to Mr Baird.

The court heard that on November 17, 2020, Norfolk was then captured on the camera wearing the clothing – the mini-skirt – which could have facilitated an indecent exposure.

Officers subsequently searched Norfolk’s flat and six mobile phones were seized and only one of them had actually been registered with the police.

Mr Baird said police also tried to execute a search warrant at Norfolk’s flat but he refused to answer the door and after they had started to force entry he told them he would have answered but he was getting changed.

Norfolk, who has previous convictions including SHPO breaches, pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching his SHPO by failing to make himself available to police, by wearing clothing designed to facilitate indecent exposure, by possessing undeclared phones, and by failing to answer his door to police.

Ian West, defending, said: “He instructs me he had an epiphany in mid-December, 2020, and he decided he had to change his ways.

“This sort of behaviour. The dressing and being obstructive to the police was clearly not to his benefit and matters had got totally out of hand.”

Mr West added that Norfolk is no longer wearing dresses or other female clothes not even in his own home.

Judge Rachael Harrison told Norfolk: “Taking the four counts together you exhibited, in my view, a persistent breach.”

She added: “You treat this as some sort of game. It is not. Your position is seriously aggravated by your previous convictions.”

Judge Harrison sentenced Norfolk to 24 months of custody and he was given a further eight weeks of custody relating to the activation of a previously imposed suspended prison sentence.