Professional cricketer Shiv Thakor, 24, arriving at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court in Derby
A cricketer once tipped to play for England at the highest level has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years for exposing himself to two women.
Shiv Thakor’s sporting career is over after he was convicted of exposing himself through a ‘gap’ in his jogging bottoms to the women on a housing estate in separate incidents a week apart.
The disgraced Derbyshire all-rounder, who represented England at under-19 level, was nicknamed by one of one his victims as ‘Shifty Shiv’ after the first encounter.
The shamed sportsman was found guilty of the charges despite claiming he couldn’t have done it because he had already been sexually satisfied by his teenage girlfriend.
The 24-year-old former Grammar school pupil denied two counts of exposure, claiming the incidents in Mackworth, Derby in June this year were a ‘misunderstanding’.
During his trial earlier this month at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard that he had been jogging around a housing estate before he exposed himself ‘through a gap in his trousers’.
A second woman said Thakor stopped outside the property a week later and exposed himself while she was talking on the telephone.
It was alleged Thakor had ‘intentionally’ exposed himself on two occasions over the summer, causing ‘alarm and distress’ to the women, neither of whom can be named for legal reasons.
The court was told that, during a police interview, he said he had already been ‘sexually satisfied’ by his ’16-year-old girlfriend’ so he would not have committed the offence
His first victim told the court how Thakor, who was ‘usually very quiet and well-mannered’ approached her on June 12.
She said that as he came towards her, she noticed he was aroused, and that his penis was ‘sticking out’ of his jogging bottoms. He spoke to her then left leaving her ‘quite shocked’.
She told a work colleague what had happened. ‘ was quite shaken up and in disbelief really that someone would actually do that,’ she told the court.
Under cross examination it was suggested to the woman that she may have been mistaken. But she replied: ‘I did not have a good look at it, but I saw it. I would not say he was well-endowed, I am sorry.’
The court heard that after Thakor left, the woman told a colleague: ‘Shiv has just come in with his c*** hanging out.’
The second victim told the court how a week later, on June 19, she saw Thakor jogging on the estate and referred to him to colleagues as ‘Shifty Shiv’ after hearing about the earlier incident.
She added she saw Thakor with his back to her, apparently rubbing his genital area in what she thought was an attempt to ‘get himself aroused’. The woman said he then approached her with his ‘penis out’.
After he left the woman rang her boss who told her to call the police straight away.
In a short victim impact statement read to the court, one of the women said: ‘I am now nervous about being on my own.
‘I’m constantly looking round.’
Shiv Thakor, who captained England at under-19 level, is accused of indecently exposing himself to two women on two different occasion
The other victim said the incident had left her ‘angry and upset’.
During a police interview Thakor said he had already been ‘sexually satisfied by his 16-year-old girlfriend’ so he would not have committed the offences.
Giving evidence Thakor claimed he had ‘absolutely not’ exposed himself to the women, adding: ‘Nor is it something I would ever do.’ he added.
Thakor, of Derby, said he was ‘in shock’ when the allegations first emerged. He said he ‘wasn’t accusing anyone of lying’, but claimed there had been a ‘huge misunderstanding’.
But District Judge Andrew Meachin found him guilty following two hours’ deliberation. He told Thakor he was ‘satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you have intentionally exposed your genitals.’
Thakor, who was educated at Loughborough Grammar and Uppingham schools, made his first-class debut in April 2011 as a 17-year-old for Leicestershire and became the county’s youngest player to score a century.
He won the Young Sports Personality of the Year at the 10th annual British Asian Sports Awards the following year, and represented England from under-15 to under-19 level before joining Derbyshire in 2015.
He was named captain of the England Under-19s for their tour of South Africa in January 2013, but suffered a broken finger in the opening match and missed the rest of the trip.
Earlier in the week Derbyshire County Cricket Club terminated his contract and said in a statement it expects the ‘highest standards’ of behaviour of its players and is opposed to sexual harassment in any form.
At Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court today Thakor was ordered to complete a three-year community sex offender group programme and pay costs and compensation of £1,005.
The former all-rounder was told he would be placed on an eight-week curfew banning him from leaving his home between 7am and 7pm and would wear an electronic tag.
Despite a wealth of family support at the trial, none of his relatives attended court for his sentencing.
Passing sentence District Judge Andrew Meachin told Thakor: ‘You have demonstrated little or no remorse.
‘You also don’t seem to understand the impact of your behaviour on these victims.’
Orla Daly, mitigating, said Thakor had been left ‘personally and professionally devastated’ by the conviction as it had ‘ended his cricketing career’.
A Derbyshire Cricket Club statement said: ‘The club expects the highest standards of behaviour from its staff and is opposed to sexual harassment in any form.
‘Thakor’s contract has been terminated with immediate effect.’