Article on BBC website 2006-05-25


A nurse has been cleared by a court of indecent exposure after walking naked outside a neighbour's house. Lynett Burgess, 55, from Llandyfriog, near Cardigan in west Wales, was filmed from the neighbour's property in July 2005 and charged by police. The prosecution at Cardigan Magistrates Court said Ms Burgess's nude sunbathing was "not normal" behaviour. But magistrates cleared her, adding that it was accepted she did not intend to "cause harm or distress".

Film of Ms Burgess strolling naked along a shared driveway and past neighbour Morien Jones' window was shown to magistrates. Father-of-three Mr Jones said: "I have been extremely shaken by this. It has been very upsetting and worrying. I don't want to bring up my children in such an environment."

Prosecutor Maggie Hughes said sunbathing nude "could be grossly offensive to normal decent persons in society". She asked Ms Burgess: "What kind of kick do you get from this behaviour?" Ms Burgess replied: "I take exception to the word kick and find you prudish." Ms Hughes added: "I may be prudish but it's not normal for people to sunbathe in the nude."

But magistrates cleared Ms Burgess, a nurse and occupational therapist, of indecent exposure.

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2012-10-22