A creep who parked in the same spot on a busy St Andrews street three days in a row was seen repeatedly carrying out a sex act in his car by passing students.
Benjamin Valentine caught and held the gaze of a female student who was shocked when she looked into his vehicle and realised what he was doing.
His car was seen in the same place outside a bar in the centre of St Andrews on a number of occasions and Valentine claimed he was waiting for his girlfriend.
But the same young students saw him pleasuring himself when they walked past again a couple of days after first spotting him exposing himself.
Held student’s eye during public act
Fiscal depute Erika Watson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “There was no prior relationship and he was totally unknown to the complainers.
“This was right outside St Andrews Brewing Company in South Street.
“This is a heavily frequented area with lots of people on foot and vehicles.
“The two female students were walking along at 2am on April 2.
“They noticed the car parked directly outside the pub and saw that the interior light was on.
“One observed the male making eye contact with her.
“She returned his gaze and as she walked past she looked in the passenger window and saw the accused in the driver’s seat.
“His penis was erect and he was masturbating.
“The accused maintained eye contact throughout. She told her friend.
“At 9pm the same day they observed the car in the same location.
“They couldn’t tell if he was in the vehicle.”
‘Shocked’
The prosecutor continued: “The following day at 2.30pm they were making their way to a lecture and again saw the accused’s vehicle in the same place.
“At 1.20 am on April 4 both were walking along South Street.
“They observed his vehicle with the headlights on.
“One of them saw that the passenger window was down.
“One looked in and could see the accused seated in the driver’s seat, with his penis erect and masturbating.
“She was shocked by what she had seen.”
She told the court one of the students took a photo of Valentine’s number plate and called the police.
‘I don’t really know why’
Officers found him in the car with a supply of wet wipes, kitchen roll and tissues.
When Valentine was quizzed about what he had been seen doing, he replied: “I don’t really know why.”
Solicitor Larry Flynn, defending, said Valentine worked as a groundsman in a nearby caravan park and had been waiting to pick up his girlfriend at the end of her shift.
Valentine admitted public indecency and sentence was deferred by Sheriff Paul Brown for social work background reports.
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