Man caught masturbating near Sheffield park in 'presence of children' walks from court with suspended sentence

The shocking incident involved 71-year-old defendant, George Turner, and took place near to children playing at Firth Park at around 3.35pm on October 24 last year.

During a February 2 hearing, prosecuting barrister, Louise Gallagher told Sheffield Crown Court that two women were walking near to the park on Firth Park Road when they saw Turner, of Hatfield House Lane, Firth Park, ‘masturbating in his car’.

One of the witnesses said she believed Turner’s head was turned towards the park where ‘children were playing five metres away,’ as he carried out the act in his Vauxhall Corsa.

“She was shocked, she was angry [this happened] where children were playing in broad daylight,” Ms Gallagher said, referring to an eye witness’ statement, who also said she was very concerned a nearby child might have been able to see Turner pleasuring himself.

One of the women took a picture of Turner’s car, after which he ‘drove off,’ and she sent it to the police while reporting the incident.

“The defendant was the registered keeper of the vehicle, and he was traced immediately,” Ms Gallagher told the court, adding that Turner was ‘arrested outside his address’.

During a police interview, Turner made no comment, except to say his ‘zip accidentally fell down,’ the court heard.

Detailing Turner’s criminal record, Ms Gallagher said Turner was ‘lightly convicted,’ but had been charged over a very similar offence which took place in November 2016, when a woman passing by on Pitsmoor Road in Sheffield witnessed him ‘masturbating in a bush’.

Turner was subsequently convicted of exposure, and during a hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, he was sentenced to a community order.

Ms Gallagher said Turner was initially charged with exposure concerning his actions at Firth Park, but subsequently pleaded guilty to an offence of outraging public decency at an earlier hearing, which was accepted.

She cited the fact that Turner’s offending took place in the ‘presence of children’ and the ‘timing’ of it to be aggravating factors.

Defending Turner, Katie Hodgkinson, said that prior to the offence taking place, Turner had ‘left his address’ to get some ‘peace and quiet’ away from the one-bedroom flat he shared with one of his children and their partner.

“While he was out he decided to pull over,” Ms Hodgkinson said, adding: “He didn’t realise there was a park there, or that it was school-leaving time.”

Ms Hodgkinson continued by saying Turner's children are now adults, it had been a long time since he had been required to pick them up from school, and suggested that as a consequence, he ‘did not realise it was school-leaving time’ when he committed the offence.

She also told the court that Turner has health problems and suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“He’s very concerned about the impact an immediate sentence of imprisonment would have on his health, moving forwards,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

As she sentenced Turner, Judge Sarah Wright told him: “George Turner I have to sentence you for outraging public decency for the second time...You were masturbating in public, this time in a car, near to a children’s playground.”

“It’s caused alarm to women walking by who were concerned that children could see you. This is very troubling behaviour,” she added.

“You’re 71, with a number of health problems but you clearly learned nothing from your previous [sex offenders’] treatment programme,” the judge said.

Judge Wright sentenced Turner to three months’ custody, and said Ms Hodgkinson had ‘just persuaded’ her to suspend it, and told Turner the custodial element of his sentence would be suspended for 12 months.

She also handed him a rehabilitation activity requirement for up to 55 days, and told him he would have to comply with an ‘appropriate sex offenders’ treatment programme’.

Please note: It is South Yorkshire Police policy to only provide custody images of defendants who have received immediate prison sentences