DERBY OFFENDER BENJAMIN DAKIN AVOIDS JAIL AFTER POLICE STATION INCIDENTS

In March 2019, a 25-year-old man named Benjamin Dakin received a non-custodial sentence after multiple incidents involving indecent exposure outside police stations in Derby.

At his initial court appearance in October, Derby Crown Court heard that Dakin was seen staring at St Mary’s Wharf police station in Chester Green, with his hand down his trousers touching himself. A nearby worker challenged him and warned that he would call 999 if he did not leave.

Shortly afterward, another employee from the same firm looked out his window and observed Dakin performing exactly the same act again. Dakin, who resides on Thornley Street in Burton, was arrested for this behavior. Court records revealed that earlier in the year, he had been convicted of the same offence outside Swadlincote police station.

Dakin's prior convictions include two cases where he called the police and made sexual suggestions about officers in police vehicles. Judge Jonathan Bennett deferred sentencing for six months to assess whether Dakin could stay out of trouble.

Recently, the judge sentenced Dakin to a two-year community order. He commented, “I had a stark choice when I deferred your sentence and I set you certain targets. The first was for you to continue to work with the probation service, and you have done that. The second was for you to keep out of trouble, which you have done.

There is still quite a lot of work to do, but in the circumstances, I will deal with you today with a sentence that avoids immediate custody. But if you come back having offended again after today, you can expect to get custody.”

Katrina Wilson, prosecuting the October case, explained that Dakin was initially jailed for 30 weeks in April after pleading guilty to indecent exposure for touching himself outside Swadlincote police station. However, he successfully appealed that sentence, and in May, received a community order instead.

On July 30, Dakin was seen outside St Mary’s Wharf police station by an employee at SureScreen Diagnostics in Prime Parkway. Miss Wilson stated, “He was described as being fixated on the police station with his hands down his trousers and touching himself sexually. That worker challenged him, telling him to leave or call the police. About 15 minutes later, a second worker from SureScreen saw him again, in the same position, performing the same act. The worker banged on the window and threatened to call the police.

Ultimately, a police officer arriving at the station recognized Dakin, having spoken to him recently when he was acting suspiciously around the station. At the time, the officer was unaware of the full extent of his behavior or his possible fascination with police vehicles.”

As part of his community order, Dakin must attend a specialized one-to-one rehabilitation program aimed at addressing his offending behavior. He is also subject to a 60-day curfew, requiring him to remain at his home each evening from 8 pm to 6 am.