Leon Lambert was convicted of exposure at Maidstone Crown Court

by Julia Roberts

A DJ who exposed himself to a woman walking home alone late at night in Dartford has walked free from court.

A judge at Maidstone Crown Court told Leon Lambert he had "lay in wait" for a victim and then subjected her to an "unpleasant and alarming" incident.

However, he said he would impose only "limited punishment" as, while on bail, the 27-year-old had been subject to a tagged curfew - equivalent to a jail term of five months.

Sentencing Lambert, who denied exposure, to 50 hours' unpaid work as part of a community order, Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said: "The offence is serious in its own right given its very nature, but it becomes more serious given its circumstances.

"It was committed at night and I am quite satisfied having sat through the evidence during the trial that you lay in wait for a victim."

Lambert, of Gatliff Road, south west London, was also ordered to pay £500 towards court costs and sign the sex offenders' register for five years.

"his t-shirt was pulled up to his neck and the woman couldn’t see any clothing on his lower half…” – claire cooper, prosecuting

The court was told he performed a sex act on himself as he sat in his Renault Clio parked in London Road last year.

Following his arrest, police found pornographic images and photos of his genitals on his mobile phone - as well as videos of Lambert performing a sex act on himself in a Renault car.

Claire Cooper, prosecuting, said it was just before midnight on August 18 when a 25-year-old woman heard "very loud, sexual moaning" coming from inside the car.

Looking in the front passenger window, she saw the driver in his seat.

"His T-shirt was pulled up to his neck and the woman couldn’t see any clothing on his lower half," added Miss Cooper.

Despite being spotted, Lambert continued the sex act. The woman phoned the police and, worried about what might happen, held her keys in her hand.

The court heard as she continued to walk home, the same Renault Clio drove up and down London Road three times.

The prosecutor added the victim thought the man’s arm was still moving and did not end her call to the police until she had reached her home.

Lambert was stopped by officers in his car within minutes. He initially refused to give police any personal details, but later claimed he had been to his girlfriend’s house in Gravesend.

He denied it was his car driving repeatedly along London Road or exposing himself.

However, checks of automatic number plate recognition cameras of the 154 cars driving between 11.30pm on August 18 and 12.30am revealed no other silver Renault Clios, or similar cars.

Lambert was acquitted by the same jury of a second offence of exposure, alleged to have been committed the previous day in Gravesend.

The court heard two women joggers reported seeing a man slouched in a Renault Clio performing a sex act on himself.

But Lambert, who admitted to the police he had been driving such a car in the town that day, claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.