NORTHAMPTON MAN SPARED JAIL AFTER 'ANIMAL-LIKE' LEGAL HIGH SPREE
A man who launched a two-hour spree of sexual assaults in Northampton town centre has been spared jail after claiming he was under the influence of a legal high called Happy Joker.Horny Hiron Ali, 59, went on a rampage, inappropriately touching a series of women, including an 11-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy.
The court heard Ali had previously assaulted a female McDonald's employee just two days earlier by touching her bum.
Despite his actions, Ali was not required to register as a sex offender because the judge ruled his misconduct was influenced by the legal high he had taken, describing it as 'completely out of character.' The judge noted, 'You began to use legal highs, in particular, a legal high known as Happy Joker.
This is an unfortunate name as nobody would have been happy with the consequences.' Ali had been living in the UK since he was 16 and had a history of alcohol abuse.
He has been remanded in prison since April, serving time at HMP Woodhill, and will undergo a two-year alcohol treatment program instead of further imprisonment.
The court acknowledged that his behavior could have been caused by the drugs he was taking, and his defense described him as having fallen on hard times after losing his job two years prior.
The case highlighted risks associated with legal highs, which are often sold online and can cause unpredictable side effects.
