A sheriff has slammed a “disgusting” pair of drunken louts who shocked fellow passengers by urinating on a Montrose-bound train while dressed in cheerleader outfits for a rugby club night out.
But James Beedie and Kyle Clark escaped having their names added to the Sex Offenders’ Register after Forfar Sheriff Court heard how a 16-year-old girl had been among those who witnessed an incident the duo were told had shamed their families, friends and the club.
First offenders Beedie, of Angus Drive, Montrose and Clark, from Kinnaber Road, Hillside, both 20, appeared before Sheriff Robert Dickson where they admitted a charge of committing an act of public indecency on October 28 last year on a train travelling between Arbroath and Montrose by exposing their genitalia in full view of other passengers and urinating in public.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said the pair boarded the Glasgow to Aberdeen service at Arbroath around 10pm, both dressed in red and white cheerleader outfits and heavily intoxicated.
“Both were acting in what was described as an anti-social manner, and at some point during the journey went to the vestibule of the train and began urinating in front of other passengers,” he added.
Another traveller spoke to the pair about their behaviour, as did train staff, and police were contacted.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski, for Beedie, said: “He has a limited recollection but has asked me to apologise for his behaviour.
“He had been on a night out with his team from Montrose Rugby Club and has obviously not acted as an ambassador for the club.
“Presumably there was a toilet on the train, and he was only a few minutes away from Montrose where he could have gone to the toilet but he has disgraced himself by behaving in the way he did.”
Angela McLardy, for Clark, said: “It was high jinks, there was a large group from the rugby club on their way home and it was boys being boys, but he simply cannot believe he behaved in such a way.”
Both solicitors suggested there was no sexual element to the offence and the accused should therefore not have their names added to the register.
Sheriff Dickson told the duo: “The report has used the word stupid – this was not stupid, it was just disgusting.
“It is also not immature, it is just drunken loutish behaviour in front of members of the public entitled to travel on a train without being subjected to two drunken youths exposing themselves and publicly urinating.
“I appreciate you are both apologetic over your behaviour, but drunkenness is no excuse for this or any other criminal behaviour,” added the sheriff.
He fined each accused £750.
