Locations
Osborne Road South, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17
Description
A man who pleasured himself in public went on to urinate in a police van after he was arrested.
Artur Wieladek exposed and touched himself in a sexual way in Totton Precinct.
A court heard people, including children, were around at the time.
The 42-year-old had been drinking and was spotted by a member of the public facing the public toilets and leaning on railings.
Prosecuting, Anisa Alrubaie said he touched himself for around ten seconds before he got dressed again and walked over to a bench.
But after being arrested, he urinated "all over the floor" of the police van, Ms Alrubaie added.
The van had to be professionally cleaned before it could be used again.
Wieladek, of Osborne Road, Southampton later pleaded guilty to criminal damage and outraging public decency.
At a previous hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, Wieladek argued he was urinating and had not been pleasuring himself.
But the magistrates found the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had proved its case.
The prosecutor added: “It was early on a Saturday morning and there were people around.
“Those people could have been badly affected by the incident including children.”
She said onlookers were “concerned that the defendant’s behaviour could escalate”.
Mitigating, Barry Keel said his client, a forklift driver in Lymington, is focussing on “being a constructive member of the community”.
“I know he has had some difficult conversations with his wife about being in court and the nature of the allegations.
“He is sorry for what happened and simply wants to put this behind him and get on with his life.”
Mr Keel said his client was “unable to put forward any real explanation as to why he acted the way he did” on the day of the incident in June last year.
Magistrate Gillian Norris said she would follow the recommendation by the probation service and give Wieladek, who has a previous conviction for a motoring offence in 2021, a 12-month community order.
He must complete 80 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation days and pay £85 court costs plus a £95 surcharge.