A British man with a sexual fetish for tie-on surgical masks was jailed on Thursday for telephoning hospitals and dental surgeries around the country to ask for supplies to be sent to him.
Norman Hutchins (53) was jailed for three years at Leeds Crown Court in northern England after pleading guilty to a series of offences, including obtaining property by deception, as well as threatening and abusive behaviour.
He had phoned a string of medical organisations claiming he needed the masks for bogus charity fun runs and amateur dramatic performances, the court heard.
Judge Paul Hoffman, who called Hutchins “manipulative and deceptive” and a “menace to anyone involved in medical or dental institutions”, also banned him indefinitely from entering any National Health Service premises in England and Wales.
The court was told that Hutchins, who is unemployed, has a long criminal history dating back to 1970 for offences of dishonesty and violence.
“You are a serial offender. You have a worrying obsession with medical and dental equipment and with medical and dental institutions. You caused bother to the staff there. You are manipulative and deceptive. You play on the victim’s good nature,” the judge said.
“It appears you get a sexual kick out of obtaining these things. You have done this sort of thing repeatedly. You are in my mind an absolute menace to anyone involved in medical or dental institutions.”
According to a doctor’s report, Hutchins has no treatable personality disorder, the judge added. — AFP