Wolverhampton man fined for going to toilet in church grounds
A 64-year-old man who urinated in broad daylight in the grounds of Wolverhampton’s historic St Peter’s Church has been fined £250 by a court.
Sergei Koviazan, of School Street, relieved himself in the picturesque St Peter’s Gardens at lunchtime on March 7 this year.
He was observed by an officer working for Kingdom Services – City of Wolverhampton Council’s environmental crime enforcement partner.
The officer immediately approached Koviazan and gave him a fixed penalty fine of £75 which was never paid despite being sent numerous reminders in the post.
Due to the non-payment of the fine, the council decided to prosecute Koviazan and he was found guilty in his absence of depositing litter – namely urine – at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court.
Councillor Steve Evans, City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for city environment, said: “This was a disgusting act made worse by the fact it was done in the grounds of a place of worship making it also deeply disrespectful.
“St Peter’s Gardens is a popular spot for workers and visitors to our city who like to sit in this peaceful, landscaped green space.
“There is absolutely no excuse for urinating in public – there are public toilets in the city centre as well as facilities in shops and shopping centres.
“Mr Koviazan has now been punished by the court with a fine which is considerably more than the original fixed penalty notice which he ignored.
“I hope this case will act as a deterrent to anyone else who thinks they can commit anti-social acts in our city and then ignore the consequences.”
