Frank Vella pleads guilty to indecent act in Mooloolaba with resident’s dog

A man has claimed there’s more to the story after he was seen masturbating in public while patting another person’s dog.

Frank Vella faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday. Picture: Patrick Woods

A married Mooloolaba man has been heavily fined after he was found masturbating twice in another person’s front yard while petting a dog.

Even when Frank Vella was confronted with the disturbing closed circuit television footage, he told police there was more to the story.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard on Monday, after the 67-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of an indecent act in a public place.

Police prosecutor Brendan Newman said Vella was spotted in the same front yard twice in Poinciana Ave on the mornings of March 12 and April 7 doing the dirty deeds in view of the public.

Sergeant Newman said damning security footage led police to Vella’s home address where they carried out a warrant on April 15 and found clothes worn by Vella on CCTV.

He was questioned at the Maroochydore watch-house and admitted he was the person in the footage but claimed the residents at the address knew he came over daily to “play with their dog”, the court heard.

The police prosecutor said the charges related to Vella attracting the dog to him before placing it onto a council bin close to the fence where he would pat it.

Vella pleaded guilty. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Sergeant Newman said Vella was seen in the footage on both occasions reaching into his pants while patting the dog, before he was seen making “rapid back and forth motions” towards his crotch.

The court heard while he does this, Vella looks back at the street several times.

During the incident on March 12 the Mooloolaba man was seen urinating on a bin before he called the dog over.

When asked by police about the videos, Vella claimed his hand gets shaky due to his arthritis to explain why his shorts and hand were shaking in the video. He told officers he was only patting the dog and did not commit any indecent acts. He also said he did not have a mental illness.

Despite his comments to police, he pleaded guilty to both charges in court on Monday.

Duty lawyer Madalyn Olivero conceded it was an “unusual” case but said it was fortunate neither children or a member of the public saw Vella do the acts.

Ms Olivero said the disability support pensioner, who was married and a carer for his wife, suffered from other physical ailments. She said it was out of character for him as he only had a dated offence from 40 years ago.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan plainly called Vella’s behaviour “disgraceful” and “disgusting” where he could have been seen by innocent bystanders.

Mr Callaghan said Vella did not explain why it occurred and found himself “perplexed” at the fact he committed this offence in his senior years.

Vella was fined $600 with a conviction recorded.

Originally published as Frank Vella pleads guilty to indecent act in Mooloolaba with resident’s dog