Lee Farrell (pictured), 50, is said to have left victims shaken, disgusted and terrified after flashing at them in a string of public places since 2008
A wheelchair-bound man with a 13-year history of exposing himself to girls as young as seven has been spared jail after suggesting his offending could stem from his 'frustration' at being disabled.
Lee Farrell, 50, is said to have left victims shaken, disgusted and terrified after flashing at them in a string of public places since 2008.
His latest victim was a 17-year-old girl who he flashed after she got off a tram in Bury, Greater Manchester, on October 12 last year.
When confronted he reportedly blustered: 'I was just scratching!', but the teenager was said to have been left feeling 'very anxious' and had a panic attack after the incident.
At Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, Farrell, of Bolton, faced jail after he admitted causing a public nuisance and indecent exposure but was freed with a suspended sentence after a judge told him: 'I'm going to give you a chance.'
It came after he was arrested for exposing himself to a woman while sat in his stationary Renault Laguna in a car park in 2008, before flashing two girls aged seven and 11 in a Morrisons supermarket in 2010 and targeting an eight-year-old girl playing hide and seek with friends in 2012.
Prosecutor Gavin Howie told the court how the latest victim had arrived at Bury Interchange at 7.10pm after getting a tram from Manchester city centre.
He said: 'She saw this defendant in a wheelchair and he was staring at her from around eight feet away.
'She was in the glassed off area of Bury Metro station and she gave him a "dirty look".
'She doesn't say why. But she thought he was moving his hand near his groin area.
'Then another male approached and the defendant moved away for a short time before returning.
'She could clearly see he had his penis outside of his jeans and it appeared to be erect, and he was moving his hands up and down in a "jerking motion" and looking straight at her.
'She shouted, "What the f**k are you doing?" and that alerted other service uses in the station.
'She added: "What's wrong with you!" whereupon the defendant looked scared and said, "I was just scratching."
'The other male asked if she was okay. The defendant moved off to Mill Gate Shopping Centre whilst the girl's mum drove her straight to the police station, where she made a report.
'The incident left her feeling very anxious and she said that she had a panic attack and she described the experience as "horrible".'
Police were shown CCTV footage of the incident and were immediately able to identify the suspect as Farrell given his history. He was quickly arrested.
Mr Howie added: 'The complainant has been affected, but it hasn't been as bad as it might be.
