A Swindon man who was charged with flashing his genitals at young females, including a 13-year-old girl, in parks across town has been acquitted following a two-day trial.
Richard Barratt, 62, was accused of four counts of indecent exposure which occurred in various locations, including Akers Way playing field on 19 April 2018, Shaw Ridge on 30 May 2020 and Coate Water Country Park and Lawn Woods on 24 June 2020.
On 9 June this year, a bench of magistrates found him not guilty. They told the Crown Prosecution Service it had not proved its case regarding identification.
Witnesses to the incidents gave detailed descriptions of the male flasher, but there were significant discrepancies. For example, Mr Barratt has always had a full head of hair, yet some described him as bald. The colour of the bike he was riding was described as white, but he owns a green bike.
Despite the clear statements from witnesses, none of them mentioned that the flasher was wearing a black wristwatch, but Mr Barratt was and it would have been visible. One witness claimed the suspect had a beer belly, but he does not.
Talking exclusively to Wiltshire 999s, Mr Barratt said: “I was scared stiff when I was arrested. I’d just been on a bike ride with my wife, my pushbike was on the floor and I was standing over it having a drink. I didn’t know I was being approached by a police officer, he was in plain clothes and it was completely unexpected.
“He was stood there with his taser pointing at me – I thought he was going to fire it; I went into a panic because he didn’t identify himself or shout police. It wasn’t until I looked him up and down in that moment that I realised he must be an officer because he has a radio on his belt.”
Police checks at the time of his arrest showed he had never dealt with the police during his lifetime, and there were no previous convictions on record.
“I’ve been suicidal since I was charged”, he continued. “Even the people who were helping me through the court process were telling me I was facing a year in jail, but I kept telling them the police have the wrong man. Nobody told me there was a chance I could walk into my trial and walk out a free man, they only advised me of the worse that could happen.
“When you’re being told you could be going to jail for a year for something you haven’t done, there were thoughts running through my head, including that I wouldn’t be able to face time inside.
“My wife was off work for eight months, trying to stop me from doing anything stupid – she locked me in the house to try and protect me. I had to see mental health professionals – it’s still ongoing now, it’s going to be a long time before I’m myself again.
“It’s been a nightmare year. After the police announced my charges, alongside my street name and age, I was scared of what might happen to me and my family. I was worried that someone would find where I live somehow; I was scared to go out.”
Mr Barratt, who plans to return to work at BMW next week, told of how some friends and work colleagues of 20 years have been ignoring his calls and texts.
He said: “All they’ve seen is the charges, but not that I was acquitted in court. The police have refused to put out an update, despite numerous calls to the Devizes HQ to try and get them to do it.
“After the first day of the trial, you could clearly see that none of the four witnesses were describing me.
“The colour of the bike was wrong, they said I was bald but I’ve got a full head of hair and always have. The witnesses didn’t even describe the clothing, and types of clothing, I was wearing on my arrest right after the last incident was reported.”
The true Swindon flasher, made famous by Wiltshire Police witness appeals over the past three years, remains at large.
