A CHESTER man who exposed himself at a pub and hurled verbal abuse at a member of staff before threatening to attack her with a shoe has been spared jail.

Peter Hardy, 51, of City Road, pleaded guilty to all charges at the first opportunity when he appeared at Chester Magistrates Court on Tuesday, July 12.

He admitted a charge of public nuisance by indecent exposure, in that he pulled down his trousers so his penis was exposed at the Red Lion pub in Parkgate, Neston, on the afternoon of April 22.

He also admitted, during the same incident, charges of common assault and using threatening behaviour to cause fear of violence.

Prosecuting, Alan Currums said it was at 5pm when one witness was returning home when she saw Hardy at the rear of an apartment, looking unresponsive. She asked him if he was all right, but he did not respond.

As he was wearing earphones, the witness thought Hardy might not have heard her, so she asked again, but Hardy responded: "Keep away; don't you come near me."

The witness said he looked like "a man possessed" and he then said: "Don't you come near me or I'm going to hurt you."

The witness said she felt "really scared" and did not want to enter her apartment. She saw the man head off to the Red Lion pub and later heard a disturbance.

At about 5.10pm, a member of staff at the pub became aware of Hardy being aggressive outside.

She saw Hardy was on the floor shouting verbal abuse at everyone nearby, before mentioning personal information about his ex-wife.

She said the behaviour was "horrendous and totally unacceptable" and was "deeply offended by the remarks".

Hardy then undid his trousers and exposed his penis in view of customers. The witness said the customers "began to get very upset" and Hardy "charged" at her with a shoe in his right hand. The pub staff member turned away in fear, while a male customer came over to stop Hardy.

Hardy called the man a "paedophile" amongst other verbal abuse, and police were called as Hardy was taken to the other side of the road.

The defendant had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Defending, Amy Williams said Hardy had entered prompt guilty pleas and the offences were "clearly out of character", and Hardy had "no intention to repeat that behaviour".

The court heard Hardy had been dealing with a number of severe mental health issues and was now fairly heavily medicated, but at the time of the offences in April he had been "at his lowest point" following the breaking down of a relationship, his home and his job, and was not on medication.

Hardy accepted all the fact of the prosecution case, except he denied a suggestion he had been handling his penis after exposing himself.

Since the offending, Hardy had "turned his life around somewhat" by accessing mental health support services and finding stable accommodation.

Magistrates imposed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Hardy must pay £100 compensation each to the two victims at the Red Lion pub, plus a £128 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.