A STUDENT donned a sports bra and skirt before pleasuring himself while sitting in the road near a Chester retail park, a court heard.

Harry Dinsdale, 22, claimed he had seen similar acts performed in pornographic videos and wanted to act out the same fantasy on Sealand Road at 2.30am on August 6.

Chester Magistrates Court heard that he had aimed to catch the attention of passing lorry drivers – but a shocked motorist recorded him and posted the footage on Facebook.

Dinsdale, who is studying theology and also works part-time in a city centre restaurant, spotted the video online and called police to confess.

The witness had also reported what he had seen at the traffic lights junction with Stadium Way and the defendant was arrested and charged.

He pleaded guilty to exposure and at a hearing on Thursday (September 26) was handed a 12-month community order to include 20 hours of rehabilitation activity and 120 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Dinsdale, of Gladstone Road in the city’s Garden Quarter, was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for five years.

Outlining the case, prosecutor Alison Warburton said that police had received a call from Dinsdale on Tuesday, August 6, saying he had “acted out a fantasy”.

He told officers that his “foolish” actions had been recorded and uploaded to Facebook.

The witness reported driving along Sealand Road near the Greyhound Retail Park when he saw a man sitting on the ground at the junction with Stadium Way.

“He was wearing a female vest top, a blue chequered skirt and trainers and was not wearing any underwear,” Miss Warburton said. “He was masturbating.

“As the witness stopped at the traffic lights the male looked directly at him and carried on masturbating. It made him feel shocked, alarmed, distressed and sick. He then made a short recording on his mobile phone.”

In his police interview, the defendant fully admitted what he had done and said he had worn a sports bra and a blanket wrapped around him like a skirt.

“He had intended for a passing lorry to see him,” Miss Warburton told the court. “The porn videos he watches make out it is something people do like to watch. He wasn’t thinking about the consequences being that harmful.”

Richard Sibeon, defending, stressed his client was extremely remorseful and had reported what he had done to the police before the witness did.

“It is baffling behaviour by any stretch of the imagination,” Mr Sibeon said. “He tried to act out something that he says he has seen. He is ashamed of what he’s done.”

Dinsdale must also pay £85 court costs and a £90 victim surcharge, which goes into a national pot to support victims of crime.