An elderly man who urinated in a Pembroke Dock shopping centre has been ordered to pay £260 in compensation to a shop owner after admitting criminal damage.

Seventy-one-year-old Lawrence Roach Evena, of Gilgal Terrace, pleaded guilty to a charge of damaging five rolls of vinyl tablecloths, at the St. Govan’s Shopping Centre, when he appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Ellie Morgan told the court that the incident occurred on October 21, shortly after 4 pm.

“Mr. Evans was seen to enter the shopping centre by a pet shop owner, who spotted him standing outside a net and bag shop, which was closed at the time, in a gap between two racks of vinyl rolls.

“The defendant’s face was staring down, and the shop owner couldn’t figure out what he was doing, but thought it was something strange.

“When he took a closer look he saw a large puddle of urine on the floor which was running down the vinyl rolls. He phoned the shopping centre manager and also the police,” explained Ms Morgan.

Mr. Evans was spoken to and also the owner of the shop about the incident who was ‘upset and shocked’ and stated that each roll of vinyl would cost £52 to replace, as the urine had penetrated through the material.

The shop owner who spotted Mr. Evans urinating told police officers that he had seen the defendant in the centre many times, and had had cause to speak to him about other ‘unsavoury’ activity.

Defence solicitor Mike Kelleher told the court that Mr. Evans wished to apologise to the shop owner concerned and anyone else in the centre at the time.

He explained that Mr. Evans suffered a brain haemorrhage some seven or eight years ago and has been suffering ever since from very bad short term memory, which unfortunately has affected his need to urinate almost immediately when he feels he needs to go to the toilet.

“The shop he was outside was closed and he needed to go to the toilet, so he felt by going between the vinyl rolls, he would be out of the public domain.

“Unfortunately there are no public toilets in the vicinity, but he is very apologetic for his behaviour,” added Mr. Kelleher.

Magistrates gave Mr. Evans a 12-month conditional discharge and he was ordered to pay compensation of £260 to shop owner Katherine Hodgson.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a £20 victim surcharge.