Car sales manager jailed for flashing female co-worker

A sales manager from Grimsby who made sexual comments to a female junior and exposed himself has been jailed after trying to defend a culture of banter.

Mark Huntley, 38, had been a car salesman across the Humber region for almost 20 years before he was jailed this month by Bradford Crown Court for six months.

Prosecutor Paul Genney told the court that Huntley, of St Nicholas Drive, Wybers Wood, was working for one of the region's largest car sales companies at the time of the offence in December 2017 and was the boss of the victim, Grimsby Telegraph reports.

The victim had tried to ignore him when Huntley, a father of seven, complained of "soreness" to his private parts from having sex with his wife the previous night, but later when she was on her own he told her "have a look at it" and exposed himself, the court was told.

She felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, and when she later told her husband he complained to the company.

His employer took disciplinary action but Huntley left to join a rival company before he was sacked.

Huntley's defence lawyer Ben Hammersley said clearly it was "inexcusable and wholly inappropriate in any normal society."

"She described feeling guilty and embarrassed but there is no suggestion of harm beyond this," he added.

Huntley had described his behaviour as "sexualised banter" and claimed there had been a pattern of vulgar behaviour in the workplace.

Huntley, who had since started working as a decorator, had denied the offence but a jury at Grimsby Crown Court convicted him of exposure in June.

"This was an abuse of trust because you were in a position of some authority over her," noted Recorder Taryn Huntley at the sentencing hearing, before jailing him.

Huntley must register as a sex offender for seven years.