In an extraordinary and disturbing incident, Mark Mortimer defecated on the exterior wall of the Lydbrook & District Community Social Club in Gloucestershire and then wiped himself with a sandwich. The event, which took place on the evening of February 13, 2024, has left local residents and club staff horrified.
Mortimer, 46, of Coleford, Gloucestershire, was convicted of outraging public decency after the bizarre episode at the small Forest of Dean village club. According to a spokeswoman for the club, the man arrived around 8:30 p.m., behaving erratically and making strange comments. When he requested to use the restroom, staff permitted him entry, where he remained for several minutes.
During his visit, Mortimer displayed odd behavior—he bluntly asked for a drink yet claimed he had no money to pay, and alarmingly told staff he carried a bomb, though it was later identified as a large silver metal ball. Seeking to hurry him out, staff pretended the club was closing.
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However, the situation escalated when Mortimer exited and defecated on the club’s outer wall. To make matters worse, he wiped himself with a sandwich taken from a black bag he carried. The spokeswoman, who has managed the club for a decade, expressed disbelief and disgust at the incident, stating, “I’ve never known anything so disgusting in all of my life.”
Police were quickly alerted, and Mortimer was arrested near the club. He pleaded guilty to outraging public decency and to breaking and entering a nearby cottage to steal a torch on the same day. His case was heard at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on April 1, 2024.
Mortimer failed to appear for sentencing on May 12, leading magistrates to issue a warrant for his arrest. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to affray in a separate case heard in Gloucester Crown Court, where he received a four-month prison sentence but was released due to time already spent in custody.
This disturbing episode has left the small community of Lydbrook shocked and grappling with the aftermath of an incident few could have imagined.