A FAST-food delivery worker was left shocked when a stranger she had delivered a pizza to sent her indecent images of himself.

Twenty-eight-year-old Lee Gill sent the two intimate pictures after he had been drinking alcohol late at night and because he wanted to strike up a relationship with the woman, Carlisle’s Rickergate court heard.

The defendant, of Baird Road, Harraby, admitted a Communications Act offence, which involved him sending “grossly offensive” messages.

Carl Gaffney, prosecuting, said the defendant and the victim, who worked for a local takeaway food outlet, were not known to each other.

On the day before Gill sent the offensive images of his private parts the woman had made a routine delivery to his address in Carlisle, and she called him so she could summon him to the door of his flat to accept the pizza.

That was why the defendant had the woman’s phone number.

“Twenty-four hours later, just before midnight, on December 27, the woman received a couple of calls from a number she didn’t recognise,” said Mr Gaffney. "They had no history, and she did not respond.”

When she opened the text messages sent by Gill, she was confronted by the two indecent photos he had taken of himself. Distressed, she immediately reported what had happened to her employer and to the police.

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The prosecutor added: “He has no previous convictions… This is of course distressing and offensive behaviour from the defendant, but it does not appear in any way, shape or form to have been planned in any detail.”

Chris Toms, defending, said he had dealt with the defendant after his arrest when he was at Carlisle’s Durranhill Police HQ.

“He didn’t know where to put himself,” said the lawyer. “He was ashamed of what he’d done and can’t think what was going through his head at the time. This does seem to be a cultural thing in many younger people that this is done.

“Quite frankly, it horrifies me and in this case the defendant has completely misplaced that cultural reference.”   Gill had wanted to encourage some kind of relationship but did not want to shock the woman, said Mr Toms.

“It’s worth noting that when these images were sent it was the end of the day and he had been drinking and it seemed like a good idea at the time. But he is deeply ashamed about the whole thing.

“I suspect he will not trouble the courts again. It’s all a bit sad and it’s all a bit silly.”

Magistrates said the harm involved was the shock experienced by the victim but they noted that the defendant had been in drink and that he was now clearly embarrassed and remorseful.

They fined Gill £80, with £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

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