Steroid-using pervert followed terrified women around Leeds streets in his van

Over the space of just a few days in January and February, Jazonn Harris followed the females around Cookridge and Rawdon, driving slowly in his van and turning around as they walked along the streets.

After his registration plate was reported to the police, they moved to arrest him at his Kirkgate home in Shipley. There they also found a cannister of CS gas in a drawer at his home.

Prosecuting the case at Leeds Crown Court, Nick Adlington said the first victim had noticed Harris parked up in his van on January 30 at around 4pm as she went to the supermarket in Cookridge pushing her daughter in a pushchair.

When she came out of the shop, she noticed the van parked nearby again, and then appeared to be following her slowly. In a panic, the woman tried and failed to call her husband but took a note of the registration.

The next day, a female dog walker noticed Harris’ van pass her about three times as she walked home. She later found comments on social media about a suspicious man in a van following women in the area.

On February 2, another woman noticed Harris in his van and he was staring at her groin which made her feel uncomfortable. He passed her several times around the Moseley Wood Avenue and Kirkwood View area and at one point she thought he was masturbating.

Two days later, another female was walking along Batter Lane in Rawdon at around lunchtime when she noticed the van driving slowly by. She later told police that when he stopped he was staring at her and was touching his genitals.

He was arrested on February 7 and admitted being in the area but could not give reasons for his odd behaviour. He also said he had been given the CS spray years ago and forgotten about it.

The 42-year-old admitted four counts of stalking, one of outraging public decency and possession of an illegal weapon.

Mitigating, Taryn Turner said Harris had admitted his guilt “from the get-go” and had been held on remand since his arrest. She said a combination of a breakdown in his relationship and his use of steroids was behind his offending.

She said: “He did not attempt any contact with the women but it’s not to downplay how unsavoury the offending is.” She described him as a “fairly intelligent man” and that he plans to move away to Lancashire with his partner.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC told Harris that there was a “sexual element to his offending” and that he “posed a risk of future offending against women”. He added that all the victims had been “frightened witless”.

He told him: “For all your remorse, I do not think you have properly addressed what you were doing.”

However, he conceded he was “bound by the sentencing guidelines” and because he had admitted the charges, would only face a 10-month jail sentence. He imposed the 10 months, but suspended it for 18 months.

He was given 30 rehabilitation days to address his offending, 150 hours of unpaid work and a restraining order to keep him away from the victims.