Couple caught having sex on cricket pitch laughed when asked to stop

An unemployed couple who had sex on a cricket wicket in full view of community wardens have been fined for outraging public decency. Andrew Newman, 34, and his girlfriend Kerri Cooper, 37, were spotted having intercourse in a public park in Crawley, West Sussex, earlier this month. They had started drinking in the early afternoon of September 9 before their passion got the better of them at around 3pm, Crawley Crown Court heard.

Magistrates were told that two council-employed community wardens spotted the couple in a state of undress at the Three Bridges Cricket Club in Crawley and so went to investigate. When the wardens asked Newman and Cooper to stop what they were doing, they simply laughed and carried on for another five minutes. Prosecutor Hazel Merritt told the court: 'The two community wardens were patrolling the field at the cricket ground which is overlooked by residential housing.



'They saw a male and female, Newman and Cooper, lying on the field and they were having sexual intercourse. When they were asked to stop Newman just laughed. Both wardens were outraged by what they saw and what was going on. They continued for a further few minutes before Newman rolled off Cooper and pulled his underwear up. The police were called and when officers spoke to them they were dismissive of it.'

Newman told police his name was Mickey Mouse. Both were arrested and in interview both initially denied ever having a sexual relationship. 'But Newman finally confessed and said he lied because he was embarrassed.' Geoff White, defending, said: 'They were, at the time, extremely drunk and on this occasion one thing led to another.' Presiding magistrate John Russell fined the pair, both of Crawley, £50 each and ordered both to pay £40 towards prosecution costs and a £15 victim surcharge.