Suspended Loyola College principal Joseph Favrin denies exposing himself in Bundoora public toilet

Suspended Loyola College principal Joseph Favrin has denied exposing himself, winking and blowing kisses at a man in a Bundoora public toilet block.

The public toilet block in Bundoora Park where suspended Loyola College principal Joseph Favrin is alleged to have exposed himself.

Suspended Loyola College principal Joseph Favrin stroked his genitals and winked at an unsuspecting man in a public toilet block where gay men are known to “hook up”, a court has heard.

Mr Favrin, 68, fronted the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to fight two charges of sexual exposure and sexual activity directed at a person.

The Herald Sun last year revealed detectives had charged Mr Favrin, who presided at the helm of the Catholic secondary school for nearly 15 years, with the offences.

The complainant sat in the witness box on Thursday and detailed the “disgusting” incident at Bundoora Park in Melbourne’s northeast on April 1 last year that he said left him “shaken”.

But Mr Favrin’s defence barrister Colin Mandy SC argued the young man had “simply gotten the wrong bloke”.

The complainant told the court he was at the park with his girlfriend, where they parked his car to watch a film together on her laptop.

After a while, he said he needed to use the nearby toilet block.

He described standing at the urinal, when he was approached by a man in a white shirt and dress pants that he alleged was Mr Favrin.

“He was leaning over … trying to look at my genitals and he had his genitals out,” he said.

“He was thrusting his hips towards me.”

The complainant said he saw Mr Favrin touching and “stroking” his exposed genitals.

“He was like taunting me to touch his genitals,” he said.

When asked why he believed that, he said: “He leaned over, he winked and he blew kisses at me.”

Joseph Favrin was handed an interim suspension by the teaching regulator in May last year. Picture: Hamish Blair

He said Mr Favrin then retreated from the urinal and went into a cubicle.

The young man then hurried back to his girlfriend to tell her about the incident, which he said made him feel “angry” and “vulnerable”.

His girlfriend, who also gave evidence, told the court she advised her partner to start recording Favrin as he exited the toilet block.

The phone footage, which was played to the court, captured Mr Favrin walking back to his car as the complainant asks: “What’s your name?”

“I’m going to send this … to the f--cking police,” he said.

Mr Mandy conceded it was his client walking to his car, with Mr Favrin making the same concession in his record of interview.

But Mr Mandy told the court that unbeknown to his client the toilet block was a well-known “beat” frequented by gay men looking to have consensual sex.

He argued there was a “reasonable possibility” the complainant was approached by another man at the urinal there for that purpose.

In his record of interview, which was aired in court, Mr Favrin told detectives he was at Bundoora Park on April 1 for a short walk to clear his head after a “very busy” week of work when he started to experience stomach cramps.

He went to the toilet block because he said he had “the runs”.

Once he felt better, he said he left the cubicle and saw the complainant at the urinal.

“He said ‘Hi mate’ and I didn’t really respond because obviously this is a bit embarrassing because I wasn’t aware that there was actually anyone there,” Mr Favrin said.

Loyola College is one of Victoria’s leading Catholic co-educational schools.

He retreated back into a cubicle and after a couple of minutes, left the toilet block where he was confronted by the complainant recording him.

Mr Favrin said he did not see anyone else in the toilet block while he was in there.

When detectives told Mr Favrin he was alleged to have blown kisses at the complainant, he replied: “You gotta be kidding.”

He shook his head when they told him he was also alleged to have exposed his genitals and thrusted his hips.

“Is there any reason why (the complainant) would tell us that?” a detective asked.

“No idea … it’s crazy, absolutely crazy,” he replied.

He said it was not aware the toilet block was a well-known “beat”.

“I’ve been married 37 years, happily,” he said.

“I’m not going to put all of that at risk.”

In his closing argument, Mr Mandy told Magistrate Meagan Keogh – who will decide whether Mr Favrin is guilty or not guilty – the complainant assumed the man who exposed himself was Mr Favrin.

“We submit there’s a reasonable possibility he’s wrong about that,” Mr Mandy said.

He argued there was a “reasonable possibility” another man entered the toilet block to approach the complainant while Mr Favrin was locked in a cubicle.

Mr Favrin is alleged to have “engaged in sexual activity” seen by another person with the intention that this person would “experience fear or distress from seeing the activity”, according to the charge sheet.

But Mr Mandy argued that if Ms Keogh accepted it was Mr Favrin engaging in the alleged behaviour, he would only be guilty of the offence if he intended or knew the complainant would probably experience “fear or distress”.

Mr Favrin, dressed in a suit with a yellow tie, was supported by a woman in court and did not speak during the proceedings.

The court also heard from multiple witnesses willing to give good character evidence about Mr Favrin, including two deputy principals that served under him.

Mr Favrin has no prior convictions.

In a letter to parents, Loyola College acting principal Alison Leutchford said it is offering counselling and pastoral services to students and staff, if required.

“Our focus as a college remains firmly on our students’ ongoing education, growth and emotional wellbeing,” she wrote.

“As we move forward, I will continue to serve as acting principal for the foreseeable future and thank you for your ongoing support in this role as leader of the college community.”

He was handed an interim suspension by the teaching regulator in May last year.

Ms Keogh will hand down her verdict on December 20.