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Zane Wittkowski denies scaring shoppers with ‘phallic object’ in pants

A bloke strolling around a Langwarrin shopping centre reckons he was adjusting himself, worried customers allege he was doing something else.

A man allegedly rubbed “a large phallic object” hidden in his underpants at The Gateway Shopping Centre in Langwarrin.
A man allegedly rubbed “a large phallic object” hidden in his underpants at The Gateway Shopping Centre in Langwarrin.

A man accused of repeatedly rubbing “a large phallic object” hidden in his underpants in front of female shoppers and children has faced court.

Zane Darian Wittkowski is contesting several sexual activity-related charges stemming from an alleged incident at The Gateway Shopping Centre in Langwarrin.

On Tuesday the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court heard the 27-year-old attended the mall on October 16 last year and went into Coles supermarket.

Police say hidden in his pants was a large “penis-shaped” object which he is accused of touching a number of times in front of two young women who were doing their grocery shopping.

They then left the store, but Mr Wittkowski allegedly followed them to the carpark.

Police say the pair of women, both young adults, were so scared they asked three strangers to walk them to their vehicle.

Mr Wittkowski is then accused of loitering around the carpark area before attending the nearby Australia Post shop.

He is then alleged to have again touched the object in his pants on two different occasions in the presence of two separate children.

In court when asked what the object was the police prosecutor said it had not yet been recovered but stills from CCTV footage show on occasions a “large white phallic” item protruding from his groin area.

With her hands she gestured that it was between 25-30cm in height.

She said around 60 hours of video footage from centre and post office cameras had so far been obtained and was still being processed.

Mr Wittkowski’s defence lawyer said they were contesting the charges.

He said his client was “acting erratically” due to being heavily drug-affected at the time, and was “adjusting himself” during the post office incident.

He said they had not yet seen all the CCTV but Mr Wittkowski denied having any sexual intent towards the children.

He said the object involved was “a large lighter” and it was stored in his pocket, not in his underpants.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said he wondered why anyone would be walking around with a large phallic object if they didn’t have sexual intent.

After being shown photographic stills he said it appeared to be “about a foot high in the old parlance” and “smack bang” in the middle of his tracksuit pants.

“Your client’s defence (of a lighter) is not looking too strong at all,” Mr Lethbridge said.

“The images (I have seen) are very damning.”

Mr Wittkowski was remanded in custody and will face court again on April 13.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/zane-wittkowski-denies-scaring-shoppers-with-phallic-object-in-pants/news-story/6289c3b87aecc16bdb79195bb354f615