Logan man sentenced for disgusting act outside church

A Logan man was caught performing a sexual act while drunk outside a popular church moments before they began their Sunday evening service, a court has heard.

Glenn Scott Buttigieg leaving Beenleigh Magistrates Court

A Logan man was caught drunkenly masturbating outside a popular church moments before it began the Sunday evening service, a court has heard.

Glenn Scott Buttigieg, 41, was found guilty in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Friday, September 22 of one count of public nuisance.

Witnesses from the Dunamis Christian Church in Tanah Merah told the court they arrived at 4pm on April 30 when they saw Buttigieg.

Three members of the church alleged they saw him masturbating with his pants down and genitals exposed.

They said he was shaking his penis at cars driving by and then did the same towards them.

A senior pastor came out and asked Buttigieg to leave or they would call the police, but he refused.

Police arrived and saw Logan Central’s Buttigieg sitting at a bench with a case of beer and a handheld radio.

Police said when they spoke to him he was combative and under the influence of alcohol.

Buttigieg was self represented and pleaded not guilty to a charge of public nuisance as he refuted the witnesses’ recollection of events.

He told the court he attended the church regularly to “drink cans and talk to God” and did not expose himself.

Police prosecutor Tim Wise called three witnesses who were members of the church to give evidence, as well as the two arresting police officers.

“The evidence is concerning, exposing genitals in the vicinity of a church is offensive,” Magistrate Tracy Mossop said.

She found Buttigieg guilty of one count of public nuisance and sentenced him to two months’ prison, wholly suspended for eight months.