Warned for public indecency incident

A SHERIFF warned a Lochaber man he would have ended up on the sex offenders’ register if children had been present when he exposed himself in a supermarket.

David O’Hara, 24, appeared at Fort William Sheriff Court last week and pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing food in the Co-op at Caol on December 3 last year and to a public indecency offence.

Procurator fiscal Robert Weir told the court O’Hara had been in the Co-op at Caol around 7.30am on the Sunday in question.

‘It was obvious to the staff that he was intoxicated. He walked up to the chilled sandwich isle and proceeded to push something down his trousers and then walked towards the exit,’ said Mr Weir.

Staff had asked O’Hara to come back and asked him to return the packets of sandwiches.

It was at this point the court heard O’Hara had lowered his jogging bottoms and removed his T-shirt and in doing so exposed himself.

Mr Weir continued: ‘The shop is in a residential area but, in fairness to the accused, the two members of staff didn’t actually see this action at this point and no members of the public witnessed it either. But police were alerted and the accused was arrested.’

Defence agent Hamish Melrose told the court it was not surprising his client had little recollection of the incident as he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Mr Melrose explained that O’Hara had been trying to convince staff he was not in possession of the items described by them.

‘But even on the CCTV they could see the bulge where the sandwiches were beneath his jogging bottoms,’ said Mr Melrose.

Sheriff Gary Aitken sentenced O’Hara to 40 hours of unpaid work in the community as a direct alternative to a fine.

And he warned the accused that while the actions of lowering his clothing could just have been due to drunken stupidity over the hidden sandwiches, it could have had even more serious consequences.

‘If there had been any children present it would have resulted in mandatory registration on the sex offenders’ register, which I am sure is something you wouldn’t have wanted,’ said Sheriff Aitken.

On a further charge of theft of foodstuffs at the Spar Store in Grange Road, Fort William, on December 2 last year, O’Hara had his plea of not guilty accepted by the Crown.