Hackney driver, 61, fined €400 for indecent exposure

A 61-YEAR-OLD hackney driver who was fined for offending public decency by exposing himself in his car testified yesterday he had pulled down his pants and underpants to apply Diclac gel to a sudden spasm in his lower abdomen.

An 82-year-old woman, who witnessed it, shouted the man’s registration number over and over until a retired man living nearby arrived and wrote it down.

“I said, write down this number, that article there exposed himself, he had a big smirk on his face and a blue shirt,” the octogenarian said.

The car was owned by John Meaney, aged 61, of 14, Ardarrig Lawn, Douglas, Cork.

Judge Leo Malone said, in relation to Meaney’s offence: “I don’t believe a word of what he said. He said he has a problem [in relation to medical matters] — he has a problem dealing with the truth.”

The judge fined him €400. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said Meaney had his public service vehicle licence taken from him since the incident on July 17, 2010.

The 82-year-old said she saw the man moving his penis “from north to south and from east to west”.

Meaney testified that on the afternoon he got a spasm in his lower abdomen and drove from the city centre to Hartlands Road because he knew it was quiet.

Meaney thought the lady misconstrued his actions and said he was following doctor’s advice to apply the anti-inflammatory gel to his lower abdomen.

Mr Buttimer suggested to his client that putting down his pants and underpants to apply the gel was an unusual state of affairs and he asked why he didn’t leave his trousers on and apply the gel inside.

Meaney replied: “The gel is really messy and is really gooey stuff. If you get it on your clothes it is hard to get it off and it is smelly stuff. I did not deliberately expose myself to this lady, she just happened to be coming along. I am innocent of deliberately doing it.”

Garda Geraldine Daly first questioned Meaney about the allegation against him shortly afterwards. He totally denied anything or even being on Hartlands Road at the time.

However, after legal advice he went to gardaí a few days later and gave the account that he gave in Cork District Court yesterday.

Cross-examined by Inspector Michael McGuire about “grinning” at the woman, Meaney said if there was any grin it was more of a grimace of pain.

“Your penis was in your hand and you were moving it north, south, east and west,” the inspector said. Meaney replied: “I did not have my penis in my hand.”

Insp McGuire said: “I would not be a medical expert, where does your abdomen start and where does your penis start?”

Meaney replied: “My abdomen is right above my penis.”

Meaney said he never intended to cause any offence by his actions on the day and repeatedly said he only did what he did for medical reasons.