BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR Man jailed after defecating on social club wall and using sandwich to clean himself

A man who defecated on the outside wall of a Gloucestershire social club before using a sandwich to clean himself has been jailed for six weeks.

Mark Mortimer, 47, of Newland Street, Coleford, was sentenced at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court after admitting outraging public decency following the shocking incident at the Lydbrook and District Community Social Club.

The offence took place on 13 February 2024, when Mortimer arrived at the club and asked staff if he could use the toilet.

The court heard staff became increasingly concerned by his bizarre behaviour after he claimed he had a bomb in his pocket. It later emerged the object was in fact a large metal ball.

Fearing the situation could escalate, staff pretended the club was closing and asked Mortimer to leave the premises.

Prosecutors said that once outside, Mortimer defecated against the exterior wall of the club before using a sandwich from his bag to wipe himself clean.

Police were called to the scene and arrested Mortimer nearby shortly afterwards.

The court also heard that on the same day Mortimer broke into a nearby cottage and stole a torch, offences he had already admitted alongside the public decency charge.

Mortimer failed to attend a sentencing hearing in May, prompting magistrates to issue a warrant for his arrest.

At Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court, he was sentenced to six weeks in prison for outraging public decency.

He also received a further six-week sentence for burglary and theft, to run concurrently, meaning he will serve both sentences at the same time.

The court heard Mortimer had previously pleaded guilty to affray following an unrelated incident in Coleford in October 2024. He received a four-month prison sentence for that offence but had already served sufficient time in custody and was released.

The unusual circumstances surrounding the incident have attracted widespread attention locally, with the case becoming one of the most talked-about prosecutions in the area.