Man exposed himself on children's cycle track

Dog walker spots man committing a sex act

A MAN exposed himself and committed a sex act on a towpath regularly used by children, Newbury magistrates heard.

A quick-thinking woman who spotted him took his car registration and then gave evidence to ensure his conviction, the court was told.

In the dock on Thursday, April 28, was 28-year-old Grzegorz Dabros of Hopwood Close, Newbury.

Helen Waite, prosecuting, said the woman had been walking her dog along the canal towpath in Newbury at the time of the incident.

She added: “Her route took her past the rear of the Tesco store and she noticed a man she didn’t know, who she later identified as the defendant, standing near a tree.

“He didn’t appear to be hiding or trying to be in any way discreet.”

The man was openly committing a sex act and Ms Waite said: “She and he made eye contact. He did not seem to be in the least bit concerned about having been seen.

“She continued to walk along while phoning the police about his behaviour. She watched as he went into the Tesco car park, got something from his car and went into the store.”

The woman took the opportunity to take his car details which she later passed to police, the court heard.

Ms Waite said: “She later told police she had been ‘grossed out’ by what she’d seen. She was also aware that children often use that towpath.”

Mr Dabros was arrested and admitted that he had been the man in question, adding that he felt “embarrassed and ashamed,” the court heard. He admitted one charge of indecently exposing himself on April 8.

Mr Waite said he had no previous convictions but concluded: “An aggravating feature of this case is the fact that it was in an area used by children – although, thankfully, not on that occasion.”

Mike Davis, defending, said his client had not been specifically targeting anyone but added: “He can give no explanation for his behaviour. He has never been in trouble before.

“He is from Poland but he lives here with his partner and they are both working.

“He doesn’t seek to justify his behaviour. I don’t sense an underlying problem but neither can I offer an explanation for what happened. He is both embarrassed and ashamed.”

District judge Davinder Lachhar ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared on Mr Dabros.

She released him on bail, meanwhile, on condition that he does not use the canal towpath.