A junior tennis coach who confessed to masturbating in his vehicle near a Sydney elementary school was unable to persuade a court that he should not be punished.
According to court records, police noticed Paul John Cottrill, 41, sitting shirtless in his Holden Rodeo in Camden, south-west Sydney, about 7 p.m. on July 21, 2021.
Officers approached the automobile, which had foggy windows and was parked behind taverns, with St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School on one side of the parking lot.
As the police moved near, they saw Cottrill feverishly attempting to put on a jumper since the vehicle had no lights on and was parked in isolation.
The cops questioned his presence.
According to records brought to Picton Local Court on Friday and obtained by the Daily Telegraph, he said, “I just left my mother’s house and came here for a bite to eat.”
The police then saw that he was pantsless.
Cottrill then revealed to authorities that he had parked alone in order to consume supper and engage in masturbation.
Bras, undergarments, singlets, and tights were discovered during a search of the vehicle by law enforcement officers. Cottrill first said that the clothing items were to his ex-girlfriend from a few months ago and that he was planning to dispose of them; however, he then stated that the lady would not recognize them as hers.
After being transported to the police station, Cottrill changed his story.
“I lied to you before. ‘They were in the trash close to the dumpster, so I grabbed the bag in case I found anything I wanted,’ he said.
“Once I rummaged through the luggage and discovered the feminine garments, one thing led to another, and I began throwing a fit.”
On June 4, 2022, while traveling in south-west Sydney, police stopped Cottrill and discovered that his vehicle had a substantial quantity of female apparel.
The explanation given to police was that the goods were cleaning rags, although this did not seem to be the case.
Friday, Cottrill asked with Magistrate Mark Douglass not to record a conviction because it would hinder his capacity to make a livelihood.
He expressed regret in a letter addressed to the judge.
Cottrill stated, “I am embarrassed to be appearing before you today to face these accusations, and I apologize for creating so much problems for the police, the court system, my work, and my family.”
A felony conviction would make it almost difficult to coach junior tennis.
Aaron Roberts, Cottrill’s attorney, requested the magistrate to consider recording no conviction.
Mr. Roberts said, “These offenses have caused him substantial shame.”
“He well comprehends, Your Honor, what he has placed at risk… For these offenses, he runs the possibility of earning a criminal conviction.’
Mr. Roberts said that while Cottrill was parked near a school, it was at night and in a remote, out-of-sight position.
St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School was located on one side of the parking lot where officers saw Cotrill parked alone in his vehicle. “It was behavior that no one was there to see,” Mr. Roberts added.
Accepting that the behavior should not have happened.
Mr. Roberts said that Cottrill had no prior convictions at the time of the offense and was regarded “of excellent reputation” due to his extensive fencing career.
Magistrate Douglass said that he had considered every defense argument, but that he decided a conviction was in the public’s best interest.
Cottrill, who pled guilty, was found guilty of offensive behavior in a public area near a school, possession of items suspected of being stolen, and possession of goods illegally acquired.
He was also found to have violated Covid regulations, but this allegation was dropped.
Cottrill was given a 12-month conditional release order by Magistrate Douglass, who acknowledged his early guilty pleas but said that his “disturbing” behavior warranted a conviction.
Magistrate Douglass said that the defendant’s behavior raises grave concerns.
Without a valid medical explanation, his behavior is troubling, in my opinion. A conviction would serve as a red flag alerting authorities to this individual’s troubling behavior at the present moment.