Man caught performing a sex act in Edinburgh's exclusive Regent Terrace - Scotland's most expensive street
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Mahdi Mohammad was filmed on a mobile phone performing the sex act in broad daylight as he sat on steps after being thrown out of a house party at the capital’s Regent Terrace.
The 38-year-old had been asked to leave the plush home and was seen loitering outside by two women at around 8.30am on August 12, 2019.
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Hide AdOne of the shocked women then recorded him playing with his genitals before calling the police to report the incident.
Mohammad pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally exposing his genitals in a sexual manner to two women and that he exposed and masturbated his naked penis when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
He returned to the dock where Sheriff John Cook handed out a fine but decided against placing Mohammad on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Sheriff Cook said: “This was an alarming and concerning offence. It perhaps this shows the dangers of taking unknown substances, drugs, from third parties.
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Hide Ad“The [criminal justice social work] report records you are of low risk of reoffending and recommends an admonition in this case.
“I am not inclined to follow that course but I will impose a financial penalty of £400.
“The [sexual offenders] registration requirements do not apply in this case.”
Solicitor Joe Mooney said his client had fled his home country of Sudan and was due to start work with a popular fast food chain in Edinburgh next week.
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Hide AdMr Mooney said the offence had been “a one off” and “a complete aberration” on Mohammad’s part.
The lawyer added: “The party was over and he should have just gone away. He doesn’t deny he could have caused potential alarm and distress to the two ladies.
“He has very much returned to his religion and has gone back to his mosque. He realises the influence of drink and unknown substances does no good to anybody.”
Previously the court was told a group of revellers, including Mohammad, enjoyed a night out in Edinburgh city centre before heading back to the Regent Terrace home for a party.
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Hide AdMohammad, of the city’s Wardieburn, was told to leave the home the following morning but continued to hang around in the street outside.
The court heard one woman looked out a window and saw Mohammad “playing with himself above his jeans” while he was sitting on a set of the steps.
The woman watched on as Mohammad moved to another set of steps and she “recorded the accused while he has been masturbating”.
The disgusted woman then called the police and when officers arrived around two hours later she handed over the phone footage.
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Hide AdMohammad was arrested and taken to St Leonards police station.
Mohammad admitted intentionally exposing his genitals in a sexual manner to the two women, who were both in their 20s, with the intention they would see them, in that he exposed and masturbated his naked penis on August 12, 2019.
Last year Regent Terrace in Edinburgh was named as the most expensive street in Scotland for house prices following research by the Bank of Scotland.
The average property price on Regent Terrace was £1.75m, narrowly beating Golf Place in St Andrews.
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Hide AdCelebrated architect William Playfair designed the street’s 34 townhouses which were built between 1826 and 1833.
The expensive thoroughfare has been home to several famous residents including French and Italian royalty, the painter Sir George Harvey, and the composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.
The American consulate has also been situated on the street since the 1950s.