Man accused of being ‘Somerset gimp’ appears in court
A trial date has been set for a man accused of being the mysterious pervert known as the ‘Somerset gimp’.
Joshua Hunt, 31, is accused of two counts of affray and one count each of possession of a bladed article and committing an act of outraging public decency.
The first affray charge and possession of a bladed article charge relates to an incident in Bleadon, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on May 9.
The second affray charge relates to an incident in the same area on May 7, while the outraging public decency charge relates to an incident in Cleeve on October 25 last year.
Hunt, of Claverham, Somerset, appeared at Bristol Crown Court today to confirm his name only.
He wore a grey sweatshirt in the dock, and did not enter any pleas to the four charges he faces.
Judge Martin Picton said: ‘The trial date I will set for November 6.’
Robert Morgan-Jones will represent Hunt, while Robert Yates will prosecute.
The trial is expected to last four days and Hunt will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on June 23 and has been remanded in custody.
The ‘Somerset gimp’ has become a notorious sight across the county, with at least 16 different individuals in Yatton and Claverham having reported run-ins with the mysterious gimp between 2018 and 2019.
Sightings ceased for a time after July 2019, until he re-emerged two years later after being spotted peering through the window of a local couple’s home late at night.
An additional encounter was reported in June last year when a young couple claimed they were chased late at night by a man in a gimp suit who sprung out of a dark alleyway and started sprinting at them.
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