Ryan Farmery sexually assaulted women police officers in York

Rhys David Farmery, 28, carried out a series of crimes in York city centre, sometimes committing offences within 12 hours of an earlier arrest, said Martin Butterworth, prosecuting.

On January 11, he squeezed one woman officer’s bottom and when she objected, grabbed another woman officer’s bottom.

One of the two said afterwards she had been shocked by Farmery’s actions which would not have happened if she had been male.

Mr Butterworth told the court Farmery had grabbed a male officer between the legs on December 30 and when told to behave himself, had kicked a second male officer.

‘You don’t take no for an answer’

“Your actions are completely unacceptable,” deputy district judge Christine Egerton told him. “You don’t stop, you don’t take no for an answer.

“I appreciate these offences have been committed while you were in drink. That is absolutely no excuse.”

She made Farmery subject to a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for a year on condition he does 45 days’ rehabilitative activities and put him on the sex offenders’ register for seven years. He must also pay a £154 statutory surcharge.

Farmery, who was living in a tent at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault relating to the women officers, two assault on emergency workers relating to the male officers, two charges of being drunk and disorderly, two of committing criminal damage to police vehicles and one of breaching a conditional discharge imposed for being drunk and disorderly.

He was on a community order for other offences throughout the fresh offences and was remanded in custody following the January 11 offences.

His solicitor Kevin Blount said Farmery had told a probation officer he had had no sexual intention when he grabbed the women officers’ bottoms and he was probably trying to be a nuisance rather than do anything sexual.

Mr Butterworth said the Farmery was first arrested on December 30, when he was being drunk and disorderly in Fishergate.

He was released on bail and less than 12 hours later, officers had to deal with him again for being drunk and disorderly, this time in St Saviourgate.

The two male officers were uninjured apart from a bruise on one of their legs.

They took him in a police vehicle to Fulford Road Police Station and he spat in the van, requiring it to be cleaned before being used again.

Released on bail again, Farmery was again in trouble in the city centre on January 11 and the two women officers went to deal with him.

This time en route to the police station, he urinated in the police vehicle, York Magistrates’ Court heard.

Mr Blount said Farmery had mental health problems, including psychosis, and believed he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

He had been homeless at the time.

While in custody he had got the alcohol out of his system, and if he was released, he had a chance of sorting out his issues with help from the probation service, the court heard.