Man banned from dressing as gimp for five years

A man known as the “Somerset Gimp” has been banned from dressing in an all-black gimp suit in public at night and “crawling, wriggling or writhing on the ground” for five years.

Joshua Hunt, 32, was issued with the sexual risk order after police linked him to 25 incidents across the county.

The order also prevents the self-employed gardener from wearing any type of mask or face covering in public, unless for medical reasons.

A district judge imposed the restrictions, following a hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court, just a week after Hunt was convicted of two offences under the Public Order Act of intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Last week’s hearing heard how a man in an all-black gimp suit had terrified two female motorists in May this year in Bleadon, near Weston-super-Mare.

It was the latest in a series of incidents where a man in skin-tight dark clothing was seen writhing on the ground and stepping out in front of cars in remote locations across Somerset since 2018.

The court previously heard that witnesses to an incident in October last year said they saw a man wearing a gimp suit who grabbed his penis over the top of his clothing and also “gyrated against the floor”.

Lawrence Wilcox, representing Avon and Somerset Police, told the hearing that Hunt had been linked to 25 incidents in total.

“The evidence of the earlier incidents is based upon intelligence reports and the latter reports is more specific,” he said.

“But, we say, if the court is satisfied that the intelligence of the earlier incidents were of a sexual nature and committed by the defendant; there is material within that bundle that relates to that of a sexual nature and the acceptance of necessity.”

Peter Richardson, defending, said Hunt had taken a “pragmatic and practical approach” to the application.

“We are not contesting the application but that is not the same as agreeing with everything that is set out,” he said.

The sexual risk order was imposed for five years and also means Hunt will be on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

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Among the restrictions, Hunt, of Claverham, North Somerset is banned from wearing “black all-in-one garments” or “any combination… which has the appearance of an all-in-one garment” in public between 9pm and 6am.

He is also forbidden from “crawling, wriggling or writhing on the ground in a public place whilst wearing a full-body covering, clothing that appears like a full body covering and/or mask/full face covering”.

Restrictions have also been placed on his computer use and access to the internet.

Imposing the order, District Judge Joanna Dickens said: “A sexual risk order is quite a serious order, and it has a lot of obligations of you and if you breach this order you can go to prison.

“I only make an order if I think it is necessary to protect the public from you and I do think it is necessary.”

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