A homeless man caught having sex in a Truro coach park told magistrates it was a spur of the moment thing and his girlfriend made him do it.

Neil James Skeggs, 46, of City Road, Truro, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates' Court to committing an act outraging public decency by performing sexual acts with his partner, who has also been charged with the offence.

Alison May for the CPS said at 2pm on December 30 a woman saw the couple in the park by a bench, performing a sexual act. She could not believe what was happening, and was even more shocked when she saw the woman on the seat having full intercourse with the man in full view of other people.

Ms May said: “She was disgusted by what she had seen, and called the police.”

When officers arrived, the couple were still engaging in sexual behaviour, an officer shouted to them to stop, and they did, and both apologised.

Ms May said the woman, Skeggs’ girlfriend, was due to be dealt with later.

Skeggs told the police his girlfriend had made him do what they were doing.

His solicitor Terry Eastwood said Skeggs had not attempted at any stage to try and minimise what took place. He felt very ashamed at being in court. What happened took place on the spur of the moment. Both he and his girlfriend were homeless, living on the streets, and had been drinking at the time.

He said: “They thought they were in a private place, and did not anticipate being seen. They had no intention to offend anybody.”

The couple had known each other for two or three weeks.

Skeggs, who has previous convictions, was given a conditional discharge for 18 months.