A MAN accused of masturbating in the bar of a Wythall pub during a drunken birthday celebration has been cleared.

Kevin Haughney denied exposing himself to cause alarm or distress following an incident at the Pack Horse pub, Alcester Road, on February 9 this year.

Redditch magistrates were told Mr Haughney had consumed between 10 and 12 pints of lager and six or seven double brandies and did not recall the alleged incident.

They heard allegations the 42-year-old from Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, pulled down his trousers and underwear and carried out the sex act for around a minute while standing by the pool table in the pub.

However despite the bar area being covered by CCTV the prosecution was unable to produce images showing Mr Haughney carrying out the alleged act.

Pub general manager Dawn Tullett gave evidence that Mr Haughney had earlier twice pulled down just his trousers in the bar before the incident where she claimed she saw him pleasuring himself.

She said he was standing in an area which was, at the time, not covered by CCTV and she instructed him to "cover himself up" and went to call police.

The court was then shown CCTV from later in the evening of a scuffle in the bar involving Mr Haughney who was dragged out of the pub by two men before officers arrived.

In his evidence, Mr Haughney said: "If I had done this I would be absolutely disgusted by myself, it is not in my nature to do such a thing.

"People in that pub have known me since I was three years of age. If I had done such a thing at least one would have come over and stopped me."

Magistrates acquitted Mr Haughney on the charge of exposing himself.

The court was told he had previously pleaded guilty to common assault on Mrs Tullett after she was hit by a door pushed by the defendant as he tried to get back into the pub during the same incident.

The court was told he had a previous conviction for assaulting a police officer in 2015 and a number of motoring convictions including drink driving on his record.

He was fined £192 for the assault on Mrs Tullett and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Ian Gold, a court appointed solicitor for Mr Haughney, said: "He is most apologetic, it was certainly a birthday to remember, he regrets everything that happened and is wiser for it."