Man who masturbated in public waiting room avoids conviction

A man who masturbated in the waiting room of a medical centre has escaped a criminal conviction after making a charitable donation.

Abdulasiis Ismael (42), with an address at Great Western Hotel, Frenchville Lane, Galway, appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens at a sitting of Athlone District Court.

He previously pleaded guilty to public intoxication and to engaging in an act of masturbation at a Medical Centre on Newtown Terrace, Athlone on August 7, 2024.

The court previously heard that, at approximately 3pm, Mr Ismael entered the doctor’s surgery and lay down on a chair in its public waiting room.

Moments later, he opened his belt and pants and began masturbating.

A member of the public noticed what was going on and alerted the receptionist, which resulted in staff members moving other patients out of the waiting room and approaching Mr Ismael and asking him to stop. When he did not stop, he was asked to leave the premises and refused to do so.

Gardaí arrived shortly afterwards and observed him lying on his stomach across a chair while highly intoxicated.

On his first appearance in court, solicitor Ciara Macklin made an application for reporting restrictions in order to preserve the accused man’s anonymity. However, Judge Owens said that as there was no singular “identifiable injured party”, the issues surrounding publication fell outside the parameters of the case.When Mr Ismael returned before the court in September, he took issue with the probation report, Judge Owens recalled, “but I accept there may have been a misunderstanding given his language issues”.

He subsequently re-confirmed his guilty plea and has engaged with the probation service and provided an explanation for his “appalling behaviour at the medical centre”.

“I’m quite sure that any other patients who were in the medical centre at that time must have been absolutely horrified by what they saw,” said Judge Owens.

“He has engaged well with probation. He was intoxicated on the day, which does not excuse his behaviour, but it may provide some explanation for his lack of judgement on the day.”

Judge Owens noted Mr Ismael has come to no subsequent adverse Garda attention and has no previous convictions, as well as a €200 donation made to Esker House.

“I’m going to deal with it in a way that shouldn’t hinder any applications pending. But I want him to understand this is the first and only time he’ll get this opportunity and he needs to continually think about what he did on that day and make sure it never happens again.”

She ordered the €200 be handed over for Esker House and applied the Probation Act.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme