Brett Patrick Catton faces Noosa Magistrates Court for indecent act

A Sunshine Beach man has faced court for a lewd act seen by passers-by opposite a bottle shop and waterhole in Noosa Heads.

Brett Patrick Catton outside the Noosa Magistrates Court on October 11, 2022.

A man caught masturbating opposite a bottle shop in Noosa Heads has faced court on a charge of an indecent act in public.

Brett Patrick Catton pleaded guilty in the Noosa Magistrates Court on October 11, 2022.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined Catton $1000 and a conviction was not recorded.

Police prosecutor Michael Ruddiman said police received a complaint about 10.15pm on September 20, 2022, about a man in a van who undressed and then masturbated as people walked by.

The sergeant said police arrived on Hibiscus Ave, Noosa Heads, and found the 62-year-old Sunshine Beach man in his van opposite the BWS drive-through at the Reef Hotel.

Brett Patrick Catton outside the Noosa Magistrates Court on October 11, 2022.

“Police observed the male person sitting in the passenger seat naked,” Sergeant Ruddiman said.

“He attempted to cover himself with a pair of pants.

“Police also observed a box of tissue paper on the dash and a bottle of hand lotion on the driver’s seat.”

The police prosecutor said Catton made “pseudo-admissions” to police and said he was getting ready for bed, he was feeling good and he was not looking at anybody and he needed to go back to the bush because he was “not good”.

Duty lawyer Bernard Bradley said the chef of about 40 years was not currently working due to medical issues and received a pension.

Mr Bradley said on the night of the arrest his client was drinking heavily and was “uninhibited” in his intoxicated state.

The duty lawyer said his client believed it was dark and he had parked in the bush.

Mr Bradley showed Mr Stjernqvist a photograph of the area Catton had parked.

“He thought he was in a darker space and not being observed,” Mr Bradley said.

“It’s obviously completely out of character behaviour.”

The lawyer said his client was embarrassed about the incident.

Mr Stjernqvist said there was no criminal history in regards to the behaviour and that was “very unusual”.

The magistrate said people had witnessed the act of the defendant and complained so he accepted the prosecution’s version of events.