A couple engaged in a sex act at a retail park and were confronted by a member of the public.
A dad caught romping in public with a woman at a busy retail park on a Saturday morning has dodged jail.
Adrian Matthew Reid, 38, shocked shoppers in Belfast last August when he was seen engaging in a sex act with a woman in broad daylight.
One stunned passer-by confronted the pair and later phoned police after Reid snapped: “Who do you think you are talking to?”
When officers arrived at the scene, both Reid and his partner were arrested. The court later heard the woman, who had also been facing charges, died earlier this year and her case was formally withdrawn, reports BelfastLive.
Belfast Crown Court heard at around 11am on August 3 last year, a male was driving his vehicle into Cityside Retail Park when he observed the behaviour.
With his wife and one-year old son in the car, the motorist saw Reid sitting on a wall with his co-accused performing a sexual act. Whilst this was being carried out, other male was lying unconscious on the ground beside Reid.
The motorist stopped his vehicle, approached Reid and told him to stop. Members of the public including children were also present in the carpark and whilst Reid was initially apologetic, he then became aggressive.
Reid, from Oldpark Avenue in North Belfast, appeared at Belfast Crown Court in March and admitted committing an act of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature in public, outraging public decency.
He claimed to have no memory of the incident due to how much he had drunk. A later report from a probation officer said he remained adamant he wouldn’t knowingly do such a thing.
The court was told Reid has caring responsibilities for two uncles and had suffered a decline in mental health after the death of his sister. His lawyer also highlighted a “traumatic and unsettled” childhood and said the dad-of-one was now drinking less and trying to turn his life around.
Judge Gilpin said Reid’s actions – in a “busy place in the middle of the morning where children were present” – were serious enough to pass the custody threshold. But he suspended the four-month prison sentence for two years, citing Reid’s caring duties.
The judge warned Reid he would be jailed if he reoffended, but allowed him to walk free – to which Reid replied: “Thank you, Your Honour.”
