A MAN said he flashed at five women in busy shops because he was high on M-Cat. Mukesh Kumar Shah, 35, exposed himself to five women in the Prospect Shopping Centre and other shops in Hull city centre.
He has pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent exposure and one of indecent exposure that caused harassment, alarm or distress.
One of his victims was working behind the counter at Boots in the shopping centre when he went in and asked for an appointment.
Prosecuting, Waseem Raja told Hull Magistrates' Court: "As she was filling out the appointment card, she became aware the defendant was shuffling his hand under the counter."
Mr Raja said the store worker then noticed he was exposing himself.
"She said she was shocked by his behaviour but was alone so she ignored what he was doing," said Mr Raja.
"She handed him the appointment card and he walked away."
Twenty minutes later Shah, of Peel Street, west Hull, went into the Warren James jewellery store in King Edward Street.
He flashed at his victim, who was working in the shop at the time, through a glass display cabinet after asking her to measure his wedding finger.
"She felt something wasn't right but she didn't want to look," said Mr Raja.
"It made her feel sick.
"He then said: "Do you like that, baby?"
"She watched for two seconds and was frozen in shock."
As the woman raised the alarm with her colleague, Shah left the shop and went into Shoe Zone in Jameson Street.
There, he exposed himself to a 40-year-old woman who was shopping.
He went onto expose himself to two more women before he was arrested and walked out of the Prospect Centre by police on Saturday, November 8.
Shah was already a suspect for making seven indecent phone calls to Humber Health Care on October 30.
He admitted calling the centre and making sexual innuendos to the operators.
Mr Raja said: "It wasn't long before police caught up with the defendant about his bizarre behaviour and comments.
"It was a strange set of circumstances."
Mitigating, Richard Drew, said Shah had moved to Hull for his own safety after he was attacked in the south-east of England.
On the day he flashed at the women, he had taken M-Cat and cannabis and drunk three litres of cider.
He said: "It is quite simply a bizarre set of facts and circumstances.
"He is ashamed and embarrassed about what has happened.
"He had been drinking heavily, taking lots of cannabis and on this day, for the first time ever, he had taken M-Cat.
"He accepts this is no excuse and takes full responsibility and also asks me to apologise to the complainants and the court for his actions.
"He has no explanation other than he was in such a state and stupor that he had no idea what he was doing.
"The drugs, particularly the M-Cat, had a mind-altering effect on him."
Chair of the bench Peter Robson refused Shah's application for bail and remanded him in custody. He will be sentenced on Friday, December 5, at Hull Magistrates' Court.
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