A MAN jailed for indecently touching two teenage girls remains unrepentant, a court heard.

Leonard Michael Young was yesterday jailed for eight months following his recent conviction for groping the girls in separate incidents.

The 61-year-old environmental campaigner, well known in his home town of Hartlepool for opposing the proposed dismantling of ghost ships, was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault or touching by a jury at Durham Crown Court.

He denied the charges, but was convicted following an eight-day trial earlier this month.

Young was cleared, however, of three counts of witness intimidation.

The court was told that Young, of Ventnor Road, Hartlepool, had lost his previous good character, having had no earlier convictions.

Alexander Krikler, mitigating, told yesterday’s sentencing hearing that, although Young has been detained in custody since the verdicts, his wife has been living at home and had to run the gauntlet, with the house being damaged.

“This case has received wide coverage and feelings have been running high in the neighbourhood, partly as a result of that. It’s had something of an impact in the community.”

Mr Krikler said Young was well aware he was facing a prison sentence.

“He’s under no illusions as to the likely sentence today.

“It’s difficult because he maintains his innocence.”

Jailing Young, Judge Richard Lowden said it must have been, “a traumatic experience” for the girls, one of whom has suffered “bewilderment” and “feelings of insecurity” since the incident.

Judge Lowden said despite the offences, he does not regard Young as posing a serious risk of further offending.

“There seems to me no real advantage to you or the public of a sex offender treatment programme while you remain adamantly in denial.”

Referring to the damage to Young’s home, Judge Lowden said: “Vigilantes appear to have attacked your home and that’s outrageous behaviour.

“I hope the police will do their duty as your wife is in no way deserving of such an attack.”

Young, who is prohibited from ever working with children, must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years.