‘Storm in a teacup’ says man who jumped into pond naked

A homeless man charged with exposing his genitals when jumping into a pond in the centre of Mullingar offered to play music on a harp he had with him in court in a bid to avoid criminal sanction.

The man, who cannot be named as the case was held ‘in camera’, came before Mullingar District Court following an incident on April 23, 2025.

Sgt Orla Keenan told the court gardaí were called to the scene at Mullingar Town Park, Westmeath, shortly before 8pm following reports that a man had been seen swimming naked in the pond.

When gardaí arrived, Sgt Keenan said, they found a man fitting the description of the accused, fully clothed and sitting on a park bench.

Sgt Keenan said the man became abusive to members of the public who were watching on, at a time and location where children were also playing.

That resulted in the man also being charged with using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

The accused, who agreed to take an affirmation as opposed to swearing under oath, was first advised by Judge Emile Daly to leave a harp he had brought with him into court to one side.

“Would you mind putting the harp elsewhere while you give your evidence,” she said. “I like harps but I don’t like them in the witness box.”

In explaining his rationale for jumping into the pond, the man said his actions were “out of necessity” to retrieve a coat which had been allegedly thrown in by a man he had been wrestling with moments earlier.

“The coat was about to sink in the lake and it cost me €400, so I did get into the lake,” he said.

“I am not ashamed of it, I know I could have been wiser.”

The man, who is aged in his mid-40s, described the incident as little more than a “storm in a teacup” as he recalled how he had also come under verbal attack from a number of youths prior to the arrival of the gardaí.

“They began to throw stones at me in the park as I was getting my coat and clothes and then the guards came and they wouldn’t listen to my side of the story,” he said.

The man continued by asking the court to exercise its discretion in response to the charges by striking out both prosecutions.

When Sgt Keenan said there would be no further state evidence, Judge Daly agreed to strike out the Section 45 charge, but adjourned the public order for determination to January 9, 2026.

As she told the man the case was being put back until the new year, he: “I wish you well in your career, goodness of heart and clarity of judgement,” before walking out of court with his harp in hand.