Patient admits openly masturbating in front of staff at Cork hospital

After gardaí arrived, the Waterford man continued to masturbate with his genitals exposed, court heard

The incident occurred at Mercy University Hospital, Cork, on April 20, 2025. Picture: Denis Scannell

Medical staff attending to a 28-year-old man in a cubicle of the accident and emergency unit of Mercy University Hospital called for a security officer when the patient began to openly masturbate in front of them.

The incident occurred in the early hours of April 20, 2025. A member of An Garda Síochána then attended at the scene and even when he attended, the young man was still engaged openly in a masturbation act with the genitals exposed. The patient did not react in any way when the garda directed him to desist from his activity and kept masturbating in plain sight.

On Monday at Cork District Court, Martin Halpin, of Parliament Street, Waterford, pleaded guilty to a charge specifying “he intentionally engaged in offensive conduct of a sexual nature, contrary to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act.

Defence solicitor Diane Hallahan said earlier that day the defendant had attended for a meeting with a psychiatrist at the hospital. 

However, Judge David Waters said this offence related to an incident at the accident and emergency unit of the hospital and not at a psychiatric unit.

Ms Hallahan said: “He is from Waterford City. He has no familial support. He is in receipt of jobseekers' allowance. He does not know why he carried out his actions on the day. There is a suggestion he was seeing a psychiatrist as an out-patient earlier. He is very regretful.” 

Judge Waters noted the accused had been in custody since October 8 on this particular charge. The judge imposed a sentence of five months, suspended on condition he would keep the peace for the next two years.