Court told man originally from Ghana 'is a danger' after alleged approaches to young children

Stephen Mensah, 18, is accused of repeatedly masturbating in a Belfast residential street and making obscene comments about a young girl in front of her mother.

The defendant, who is originally from Ghana, was also chased out of a fast food restaurant following suspected contact with a seven-year-old child, a judge was told.

Mensah, of Glencairn Street in the city, was remanded in custody charged with committing a series of offences between May 25 and 30 this year. He denies two counts of exposure, sexual communication with a child and interference with vehicles.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard police were alerted by a neighbour who claimed he had been masturbating in the street in front of her house. She reported he previously came into her garden, looked through the front window and tried the front door handle before approaching cars in the street.

In a separate incident on May 25 Mensah went up to the woman while she was out walking with her young daughter, the court heard. He allegedly made a lewd remark.

The woman claimed on one occasion when she looked out an upstairs window Mensah had his trousers and underwear pulled down and was performing a sexual act in full view of her.

“She banged the window and by the time she contacted police he was standing on her doorstep, dancing and looking at her,” the constable said.

As police carried out door to door inquiries, another woman made similar allegations about him carrying out similar activity in the street in broad daylight on May 28.

Bail was opposed amid further concerns over other suspected incidents.

The court heard Mensah was chased from a McDonald’s restaurant after allegedly putting his arm around a seven-year-old child and asking them to come with him.

Police also said he was found in a soft-play area at the CastleCourt shopping complex in Belfast city centre.

“This man is a danger. It is clear that he can’t help himself with his behaviour and I don’t believe he should be out on the streets,” the constable insisted.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd stressed Mensah has not been prosecuted over the alleged incidents at McDonald’s and CastleCourt.

He disclosed that his client, who left Ghana in 2022, has been medically assessed as having the functioning age of a 12-year-old and with an IQ in the bottom one percent of the population.

“He is a vulnerable young man himself,” the barrister submitted. Mr Boyd added: “He fully took part in police interviews and made strong denials about all of this.

But refusing bail, District Judge Natasha Fitzsimons remanded Mensah in custody until June 29.

She told the accused: “I consider there is a strong risk that you will go out and commit further offences.”