August 2014
Man performed sex act in front of schoolboys in toilets at Stoke-on-Trent tourist attraction
Stephen Turner performed a sex act in front of schoolboys in the toilets at a Staffordshire tourist attraction.
The 65-year-old’s behaviour shocked pupils from a Leicestershire school who were on a day trip to Trentham Gardens.
The incident happened three months after the defendant was found in possession of a large number of indecent images of children.
Now Turner – who was not medically fit to be tried – has been sentenced to a hospital order after a jury at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday found he did commit the acts.
Prosecutor John Butterfield QC said Turner was a patient at Florence House, a mental health hospital in Porthill, when on March 18 last year staff took him his to his old address in Hilton Road, Stoke, so he could collect some personal belongings.
But a social worker spotted he was packing pornographic material.
When they returned to Florence House Turner’s case was locked in an office. It was found to contain adult and child pornography in magazines and photo albums.
Police searched the defendant’s room and found more illegal images. In total they recovered 163 images at level one; 83 at level two; 32 at level three and 118 at level four.
Turner made no comment to all questions put to him in his police interview.
He remained a resident at Florence House and on June 27 he was treated to a day out at Trentham Gardens. At 11am he went to the toilet at the same time as a group of 13-year-old boys on a school trip.
Mr Butterfield QC said: “Two boys saw the defendant moving from urinal to urinal. He then turned and performed a sex act on himself. One boy noted he was walking towards them as he did that.”
Michael Walker, head of garden and estate at Trentham Gardens, became aware of complaints and followed Turner to another toilet block. He challenged the defendant who denied performing the act. Police arrested Turner.
The defendant, who now lives at a hospital in Romford, Essex, was charged with four counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and two charges of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. The jury was satisfied he did commit the acts.
Kevin Mortlock, mitigating, said Turner has mental health problems. He said: “He has brain damage which affects his memory and ability to behave appropriately in social settings.”
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Jason Taylor said Turner suffers from two conditions – bipolar disorder and fronto-temporal dementia, a progressive condition which leads to changes in personality.
Judge David Fletcher made Turner the subject of a hospital order. He said it was necessary to make an indefinite restriction order to protect the public from serious harm. Turner will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
