Couple who refused to stop having sex under Tay Road Bridge removed from sex offenders register

A pair who had sex underneath the Tay Road Bridge in full view of passersby have been sentenced.

Drug-addled Frank Watt and Cheryl Johnstone refused to stop the act — which took place in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon — despite being shouted at twice by a bridge CCTV operator while cyclists and members of the public passed close to them.

Both Watt, 31 and Johnstone, 32, previously admitted the charge at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Fiscal depute Isma Mukhtar told the court a bridge CCTV operator saw the pair at 2.15pm on November 5 last year sitting on a concrete wall at the foot of the public stairwell leading on to the footpath of the bridge.

She said: “He could see the accused Johnstone appeared to be performing a sexual act on the accused Watt for a number of minutes. He left the control room and shouted at both accused to stop what they were doing.

“He returned to the control room and he saw that the accused Johnstone had resumed performing the act on Watt.”

The pair were then seen to pull their trousers down and have sex with each other.

Ms Mukhtar said: “As they were doing this several members of the public had to walk past them.”

Mr Mukhtar said there was nothing in the police or CCTV report to suggest there were children in the area at the time.

She added: “Police were contacted and arrived at around 2.50pm by which time the accused were both getting their clothing pulled back up.

“They both appeared to be under the influence of drugs.”

Watt also admitted being found with cannabis worth an estimated £10 when they were taken to police headquarters at Bell Street.

Watt, of Tulloch Court, and Johnstone, of Hilltown Court, admitted taking part in an offence of public indecency on November 5 2017 at Taybridge Road. Watt also admitted that on the same date, at Police HQ, Bell Street, he possessed cannabis resin.

Sheriff John Rafferty fined Watt a total of £300 and Johnstone £135.

They have also been removed from the sex offenders register, having been added to it for an interim period when they admitted their guilt, as it was found their act did not fulfil the register’s criteria.