MICHAEL DOYLE OF RUNCORN RECEIVES COMMUNITY ORDER OVER SCHOOLYARD FLASHING INCIDENT

In July 2014, a man from Runcorn was given a community order after flashing two girls on their way to school. Michael Doyle, 31, of Constables Close in Castlefields, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday, July 21, having previously pleaded guilty to one count of exposure.

Judge Nicholas Woodward sentenced Doyle to a three-year community order, requiring him to be supervised by probation officers and to attend a sex offenders programme. Additionally, Doyle was issued a sexual offences prevention order valid for seven years and was instructed to pay £250 towards prosecution costs.

Prosecutor John Oates described the incident, explaining that two girls were walking down Hilden Road in Warrington on April 26 of the previous year, on their way to school, when they noticed Doyle near a bus shelter. One girl observed Doyle standing behind the shelter, looking behind her, and then exposed himself, revealing his penis for about two seconds. She described the incident as shocking and upsetting.

Mr. Oates noted that the second girl turned around and saw Doyle exposing himself; both girls then ran away. The mother of one girl confronted Doyle at the bus shelter, prompting him to flee the scene, after which she contacted the police. The court regarded the girls’ ages as an aggravating factor in the case.

During testimonies, including one from an 18-year-old student, witnesses stated there was no evidence Doyle was urinating; this was a claim he made during his police interview.

Doyle’s defense lawyer, Jeremy Rawson, expressed that his client “regrets the hurt he has caused to these two young girls,” and emphasized that Doyle’s act involved a “very limited” exposure. Rawson added, “How the offence came about is something I struggle to understand. He regrets the actions he took without thinking.”

Judge Woodward concluded that the case involved significant aggravating features, noting that both victims were children. He warned that without proper treatment, Doyle “will run a significant risk of committing sexual offences in the future.”