Mute paedophile who flashed at a mother at a bus stop was allowed to CHOOSE his own sentence by a judge by raising his hand to pick an option
- Paedophile Michael James, 48, flashed a woman at a bus stop this year
- He had 15 previous convictions including indecently assaulting a boy
- The judge gave him the chance to choose his punishment at court
- James raised his left hand and so was given a suspended sentence
A paedophile who flashed at a mother just after she dropped her child off at nursery was told by a judge he could choose his own sentence.
In bizarre courtroom scenes, the judge gave pervert Michael James, 48, the opportunity to decide if he wanted to go to prison.
James - who had 15 previous convictions for sexual offences including indecently assaulting a boy - exposed himself in front of a woman at a bus stop.
He admitted causing a public nuisance by exposing himself at an earlier hearing and appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Monday.
Michael James, 48, flashed himself to the mother at a bus stop in Woodborough Road, Nottingham (pictured)
And during the peculiar hearing, Judge Timothy Spencer QC allowed him to select his own punishment by raising his hand.
James, who communicates by his hands after having his voice box removed, was told to raise his right hand if her wanted to go straight to prison or his left if he wanted the sentence to be suspended.
He raised his left hand so was given an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
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Judge Spencer told James, of Nottingham: 'I'm going to give you a chance.
'I can either sentence you to prison and extend your stay in prison beyond October or I can give you a suspended sentence.
'We better not meet again, because you know what will happen. Down you go.'
The court heard James had his voice box removed four years ago after suffering cancer and received a tracheostomy - an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe to help him breathe.
James was given the chance to pick his own sentence at Nottingham Crown Court (pictured)
He flashed himself to the mother at a bus stop in Woodborough Road, Mapperley, Nottingham, on July 29 this year.
Prosecutor Esther Harrison said the victim took a photo of James with his back towards her and showed it to police who identified him by his clothing and CCTV.
She added: 'The victim was left feeling disgusted and concerned.
'She had just dropped her child off at nursery school.'
The court heard his previous convictions included indecently exposing himself to a female, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16 and outraging public decency.
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