Alleged sex act at a house near Ballymena is caught on CCTV camera

Prosecutors claimed David Mitchell, 36, was the figure who performed the early morning sex act outside the house near Ballymena.

Mitchell, of Patrick Place in the town, denies a charge of outraging public decency in connection with the incident last week.

Crown lawyer Mark Conlon said the homeowner checked a bird watching-type camera when he got back from work on September 15.

The motion-sensitive system at his property in the Broughshane area was activated just before 6.30am.

“It showed a male who was unknown to him staring through the window, masturbating,” Mr Conlon said.

“His wife was present inside the room where the window was located and unaware of anyone being outside.

“But having learnt of what was captured on the home camera she has become extremely upset and distressed.”

Police viewed the footage and arrested Mitchell based on an alleged identification of the man at the window.

A T-shirt similar to that worn by the perpetrator was located in his house, the court heard.

The defendant is also charged with possessing Class B drugs following the discovery of a small quantity of suspected cannabis.

Opposing bail, Mr Conlon said Mitchell allegedly made a two-mile journey from his own home to carry out the act.

“It paints a picture of a determined individual,” he submitted.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompon confirmed his client denies being the man on the footage.

Questioning the identification evidence, counsel argued: “It seems the person seen to be masturbating at the scene was wearing a dark coloured beanie hat and face mask.”

Lord Justice Maguire described the incident as “sinister” and upsetting for the victims.

However, he granted bail to Mitchell on terms including a curfew and electronic monitoring.

The judge also barred him from contacting the couple or going near their home.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor