Man who streaked through women's rights protest ordered to carry out community work

A man who ran naked through a women's anti-violence rally has been sentenced. Peter Barker, 45, had been drinking on a stag do for eight hours when he stripped off in Nottingham's Old Market Square on October 24 and ran through a Reclaim the Night demonstration. During an earlier hearing at the city's magistrates' court, Barker, of Beeston, admitted committing a public nuisance by indecently exposing himself. He has been fined £325 and must undertake 80 hours of unpaid work.



Mark Kennedy, prosecuting, said Barker had started drinking at lunchtime that day. At about 8:00pm, he removed all his clothes and ran through the middle of the group of demonstrators, which included around 100 women and "children as young as eight", in just his boots. A police officer gave chase as he ran through the square, apprehending him a few seconds later. The police officer reported that Barker had said "it was only a laugh". "He was not aware of the demonstration ... and regretted the bad timing of his decision," Mr Kennedy said.





"It was not meant to trouble any of the ladies or children present." Defending, Katherine Macmillan said Barker had regretted the incident "as soon as he was sober". "He described it as the actions of a silly, drunk man," she said, adding that he had thought it was the early hours of the morning. It is quite clear that this was a stupid prank, ill-thought through," she said. Chloe Cheeseman, from anti-domestic violence charity Equation, who was at the march, has called for Mr Barker to make a donation to a local anti-violence charity.


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She said the women were "not easily deterred" from the focus of the rally and were "pleased" to see how quickly the police apprehended him. "That said, this was a woman-only event celebrating women's self-organised actions against violence, and Mr Barker interrupted a powerful speech by a local woman in a grossly offensive way," she added. "I personally welcome his apology and the fact he has been prosecuted." He was sentenced to 80 hours' unpaid work and ordered to pay a £180 criminal court charge, a £60 victim surcharge and £85 costs.