Case Report

A chef who denied having sex with a nanny goat was trapped after police discovered some of its hairs in his underpants, a court heard yesterday. Stephen Hall, 23, was seen by a trainload of people romping half-naked with the animal in a field called Paradise Allotments. Hall is HIV positive.

Dozens of horrified passengers rang 999 on their mobile phones - jamming police switchboards. And two fuming passers-by carried out a citizen's arrest on Hall as cops dashed to the scene. But Randy Hall originally denied the offence - until police experts found samples of goat hair in his underwear. He finally confessed all and pleaded guilty to buggery with the goat at Hull Crown Court in East Yorkshire.

But judge Michael Mettyear was left baffled when Hall's lawyer Chris Dunn suggested his client was given community service and placed on a sex offenders' programme.

Mr Dunn said the programme should include "victim awareness" - because of the danger that Hall might re-offend.

But Mr Mettyear, who heard the goat was "distressed", asked for more time to decide sentence.

He said: "I have to tell you I am sceptical that there is ANY programme devised at the moment that will help him.  He must be punished for what he has done. But at the end of the day a huge amount of shame will hang over him and that shame will be punishment in itself."

The court heard Hall lassoed the goat with his belt before dropping his boxer shorts. But as he had sex with the animal, a packed Hull to Bridlington train stopped at signals nearby. Prosecutor Rebecca Thornton said: "The defendant tried to conceal himself behind some tin sheeting but didn't stop what he was doing."

"He emerged with his trousers around his ankles. It was all too clear to the witnesses what was happening. The defendant was in a crouched and concealed position clearly having penetrative intercourse. It seems he was engaged with sexual activity for some ten minutes."

Hall, of Hull, refused to comment as he left court.

References