Horrified Boy, 10, Spots Couple Having Sex in Shopping Centre While Crowd of 20 Watched

A 10 year old boy raised the alarm as a naked woman had sex with a man in the service area of a busy shopping centre in front of 20 people.

Amy Louise Garside, 19, admitted outraging public decency over the incident at Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre, Wrexham.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, told magistrates in Wrexham that at 4pm a 10-year-old boy told shop worker Claire Vinall that two people were having sex outside.

Miss Vinall went to the service bay and saw Garside, who was naked and on her back, having sex.

Garside, of Burton Road in Rossett, also carried out another sex act.

The incident on April 20 was in full public view with about 20 people watching, Mr Espie said.

Security detained Garside but Miss Vinall feared for her safety as they approached with the defendant.

Garside, who was being restrained by her hands, kicked and punched out at Miss Vinall.

She mainly connected with Miss Vinall’s left leg and the shop worker was not visibly injured, the court heard.

Garside pleaded guilty to common assault and outraging public decency.

The court heard that Garside was convicted in January of being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer.

She was fined for the assault, along with costs, and there was no separate penalty for the other offence.

Euros Jones, defending, said that Garside was a “pleasant young lady with some difficulties”.

Garside had been an inpatient at the Heddfan mental health unit in Wrexham at the time of the incident, and still was.

At the time of the incident, she was on an extremely high dose of antipsychoticmedication and Mr Jones said that this, mixed with alcohol, “isn’t a good combination”.

Garside had no recollection of the event, but did not seek to put forward her state at the time as an excuse.

“It was simply the reason she was in that position,” Mr Jones added.

Police had taken no further action against the man, who also had some issues, because he had not struggled with security when detained, Mr Jones said.

Had Garside fully complied she would not be in court and having the embarrassment of facing up to the allegations before her, the court heard.

Mr Jones added that Garside was now on a drug called Antabuse so she could not consume alcohol, as doing so would make her vomit.

Her previous convictions related to a similar situation of mixing drugs with alcohol, Mr Jones said.

She had the support of her family and Mr Jones was sure she would not be before the court again.

Andy Stubbs, chair of the bench, told Garside: “This was an incident which was clearly unpleasant in a public arena, aggravated to some extent by the drunken disorderly in January this year.”

Magistrates imposed a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered Garside to pay £85 in prosecution costs, compensation of to Miss Vinall £50 and a £30 surcharge.