A NEWPORT man who indecently exposed himself near where a five-year-old girl was sitting in a car has avoided jail.

James West, aged 30, of Sedgemoor Court, was found guilty of one count of indecent exposure at Newport Magistrates Court on March 5. He had previously denied the charge.

At Newport Magistrates today the court heard how the complainant had parked in the Emlyn Street car park facing the Newport Leisure Centre in November 2014, with her daughter sitting in the back seat.

She made her way to the nearby pay and display machine to check the price of a ticket. There was one car parked to the left of her vehicle, but none to the right.

The complainant then returned to her car to get money. As she did this, a burgundy car parked to the right of her car, despite there being numerous spaces elsewhere.

She had to walk in between the cars to sit in the driver’s seat and upon returning to the car for a second time, to put the ticket in the windscreen, she glanced to the car on her right to witness West committing a sex act.

She noted the registration plate of his car and went into the leisure centre with her daughter to call the police.

Ian Bolter, defending, said West had no previous convictions of a similar nature and that there was no evidence that the child saw what happened.

Summing up, District Judge Martin Brown said he “could not get his head around someone doing this in a car park” and that it was “impossible to understand”. He said that the incident had affected the complainant, who now feels “more protective” of her daughter.

He added that a prison sentence would have been appropriate had West’s actions “been directed towards her daughter” but that there was no evidence that the child saw what happened.

West, who was on bail for the offence, was sentenced to a one-year community order. He will be supervised by the probation service for 12 months; will have to attend a thinking skills programme; and will have to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

West will also pay £620 in prosecution costs and there will be a £60 victim surcharge.

Mr Brown said that no compensation was awarded as the complainant “wished to have justice” and that money from West would “not help with her rehabilitation”.