Man caught on camera having sex with woman in public in footage that went round the world on Instagram and Facebook was identified by his own girlfriend, court hears
- Joe Firby, 23, from Gateshead, was identified by his girlfriend after public sex
- He and Kelly Cousins, 35, had sex Liverpool city centre after meeting at the gym
- it was filmed in concert Square on August 1 last year and went viral on Instagram
- Firby pleaded guilty to outraging public decency in December last year
- He was sentenced at Sefton Magistrates Court today to 120 hours unpaid work
A man who was caught on camera have sex with a woman in public in footage that went globally viral was identified by his own girlfriend, a court has heard.
Joe Firby, 23, from Gateshead, engaged in sex acts with Kelly Cousins after meeting the 35-year-old in the gym and going on a date with her in Liverpool city centre, where they both drank heavily, on the night of August 1 last year.
A video of the pair on Concert Square was posted on social media, including Instagram and Facebook, sparking a police investigation.
Firby was identified in the footage by his girlfriend at the time, while Cousins was identified by her social worker.
Joe Firby (pictured), 23, from Gateshead, engaged in sex acts with Kelly Cousins after meeting the 35-year-old in the gym and going on a date with her in Liverpool city centre – but he was identified by his girlfriend at the time
Mother-of-four Kelly Cousins (pictured), 35, was identified by her social worker
Firby, who has no previous convictions, appeared for sentencing at Sefton Magistrates Court today after pleading guilty to outraging public decency in December.
When asked by the court if he wanted to say anything in his defence, he replied: ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £120 court costs and a £114 surcharge.
Cousins, a mother-of-four, also pleaded guilty to the offence, and was given a 10-week suspended prison sentence in November 2022.
She was also ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service.
Cousins (pictured walking from Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on September 20 last year) pleaded guilty to outraging public decency, and was given a 10-week suspended prison sentence in November 2022
The video posted online showed Cousins performing a sex act on Firby
Her solicitor, Heather Toohey, told magistrates that Cousins had been subjected to incessant abuse since the videos went viral and suggested much of the commentary around the case was one-sided and driven by ‘misogyny’.
Cousins, formerly of Netherton, Merseyside, but now of no fixed address, said she was hounded with threats and abusive comments after footage from her encounter went viral on social media.
She some of the footage, recorded by strangers, on her own social media pages, adding fuel to the criticism.
She later said she thought by ‘making light’ of the incident it would make the hate campaign ‘go away’.
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