Brighton man sentenced for harassing behaviour towards women

A Brighton man has been given a prison sentence for harassing and nuisance behaviour towards women in the city, following an investigation by local police officers.

Jamie Lee Parsons, 31, unemployed of Stanley Court, Lewes Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court on Tuesday 1 March to causing a public nuisance by making sexual and other offensive and inappropriate comments to female supermarket staff, customers, and females on the street in Lewes Road between May and October 2021.

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment and was given a restraining order to last indefinitely, prohibiting him from entering the two shops, loitering outside them, and from contacting or following the women involved.

Parsons pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting one of the women involved, but her evidence was included in the conviction and sentencing of public nuisance and the separate charge of sexual assault by touching will lay on the court file.

Parsons was arrested following a report made by one of the shops, and swift action and initial investigation by Brighton Neighbourhood Policing. Initially no suspect had been identified but by taking detailed accounts from female victims, and from CCTV research, officers traced Parsons who lived nearby, and he was arrested.

An investigation began and it became clear that other women had been subject of similar unpleasant approaches but had not reported them. CID officers progressed the investigation by extensive research into reports made over the previous six months of unidentified males behaving in a similar way as reported. Further investigation identified other women targeted by Parsons who had not made reports to police at the time.

The force Identification Unit then played an important role, carrying out ID procedures on 12 occasions to help ensure Parsons was linked to the offences.

Parson’s behaviour had been to harass women unknown to him, making inappropriate comments, asking for their personal details, making sexual comments and even following some of them. This caused the 10 identified victims to feel fear and distress, and some felt unsafe leaving their place of work.

To begin with Parsons denied any inappropriate conduct but when faced with CCTV evidence, and identification of him by the victims, he pleaded guilty at court.

Detective Inspector Simon Morgan said: "We will always seek to take action on reports of inappropriate and offensive behaviour towards women and girls, and will do all we can to prosecute offenders and bring them to justice.

"If you are subject of offensive and inappropriate contact and comments in the street or other public places, we can investigate and take action if there is sufficient evidence. Please contact us either online or by calling 101.”