GILL FERNANDES FROM PATCHWAY JAILED FOR LEWD ACT IN FRONT OF TWO GIRLS IN BRISTOL

In a disturbing incident that took place in Patchway, a man named Gill Fernandes was convicted of performing a lewd act in front of two young girls, leading to his sentencing to 14 months in prison. The incident occurred in January, and Fernandes, aged 36, of Amberley Road, pleaded guilty to the charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child during the court proceedings at Bristol Crown Court.

Judge David Ticehurst addressed Fernandes directly, emphasizing the severity and bizarre nature of the offences. He remarked, "These were serious and very strange offences, given that you were apparently angry with the girls. Men who are angry with children don’t normally behave in the way that you did." The judge explained that, after considering the report on Fernandes and all the circumstances, the only appropriate response was to impose an immediate custodial sentence.

As part of his sentence, Fernandes was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years. Additionally, he was issued a five-year sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with girls under the age of 18.

Prosecutor Eric Waley provided details of the incident, stating that the two 12-year-old girls were in the street when Fernandes appeared and committed the lewd act. One of the girls was visibly frightened and began crying, while the other girl corroborated her account. She described seeing Fernandes through a gap in the hedge and provided a similar description of his actions. The girls were deeply upset by the incident and reported it to their teacher, which led to Fernandes’s arrest the following day.

During police interviews, Fernandes admitted to being annoyed by the behaviour of one of the girls and acknowledged that he had made inappropriate remarks to her. He also confessed to making a lewd suggestion, believing that no one had overheard him. Fernandes accepted that he acted in the manner described by the girls but offered no substantial explanation beyond stating that he was upset and angry at the time. He mentioned to officers that his mental state was not functioning properly and that he had spoken to a doctor about his condition.

Defence lawyer Richard Nile expressed remorse on behalf of Fernandes, highlighting that his client was deeply sorry for his actions. Nile also noted that Fernandes had suffered significant personal consequences, including losing his family and home as a result of the incident. He explained that Fernandes’s actions were driven primarily by anger towards the girls, with sexual gratification being a secondary motive.

In closing, Nile emphasized that Fernandes was not in need of psychiatric assessment, citing a past incident in 2005 where Fernandes had reacted violently after someone made an objectionable remark to his wife. He described Fernandes’s way of expressing anger as bizarre but not indicative of a mental health disorder. The court’s decision reflected the seriousness of the offence and the need to protect the community from further harm.