A 74-year-old man who exposed himself to a young family waiting for a bus has not been placed on the sex offenders register because a sheriff ruled it was not “significantly sexual”.
The elderly flasher admitted causing fear and alarm by exposing his genitals to a young family in a bus shelter.
Allan Laing staggered into the bus shelter, shouting incoherently, before undoing his fly and exposing himself.
Sheriff Fiona Tait said: “The view in the report was that there was unlikely to have been a significant sexual element. I can’t be satisfied there was a significant sexual element.”
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said that a young couple with a child were shocked by the pensioner’s behaviour in a busy town centre in broad daylight.
She said: “He appeared to be unsteady on his feet and leaned heavily against the bus shelter for support.
“He was approaching other members of the public and tapping them on the shoulder whilst talking incoherently.
“The couple came out the bus shelter and she saw him with his fly open and with his penis in his hand.
“They moved their daughter away.
“The husband saw the accused’s trousers with the fly open and he could see flesh.”
At Perth Sheriff Court, Laing, from Blairgowrie, admitted breaching the peace by shouting, swearing and exposing his penis, causing fear and alarm on January 26.
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said Laing had an alcohol problem he had been obtaining treatment for.
Sheriff Tait imposed a community payback order with supervision for nine months.