A homeless man whose sleeping bag was soaked by a security guard working for McDonald’s says he has been left traumatised by the incident, claiming: “I could’ve died”.
Aaron McCarthy, 25, was sitting outside a Nationwide bank next to the fast food chain on Victoria Street in London when a security guard asked him to move.
The 25-year-old stayed put, prompting the staff member to kick Mr McCarthy’s belongings and splash water all over the ground, where his sleeping bag was.
The incident sparked outrage after one person shared a clip on the incident on social media and said: “Do you think it is acceptable for your staff to soak the sleeping bags of homeless people in the middle of winter (or any other time of the year)?”
Onlookers described the incident as “disgusting” and “bang out of order”.
The security guard could be seen splashing more water onto the ground directly next to the man’s possessions— (Damon Evans/screengrab)
Mr McCarthy, who has no place to stay for Christmas, said he had been unable to sleep since the incident.
He told MailOnline: “It made me feel like I was no one, nothing. What happened has really affected my mental health.
“There was no reason for that security guard to throw water on my sleeping bag.”
Talking to The Sun, he added: “I couldn’t even sleep that night because my stuff was soaked. Some of it is still damp now. That water had bleach in it. It was cold water and it’s winter. I could’ve died.”
Mr McGarthy, originally from Limerick, says he has lived on the streets of London since leaving his adopted mother’s home when he was 17.
The Irishman detailed his mental health struggles including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic distress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorders which have led him to a life on the streets.
Rough sleepers lay in their makeshift beds outside closed shops, at daybreak on Oxford Street in London on August 2, 2023— (AFP via Getty Images)
He also spoke out about his tough upbringing.
McDonald’s has since apologised, saying they were “shocked and saddened” by the incident. The staff member, employed through a third party, has been sacked, they added.
Mr McCarthy said McDonald’s had also bought him new bedding.
Homeless charity Crisis told the BBC it condemned the actions of the security guard. CEO Matt Downie said: “It’s appalling to see people mistreated like that.”
The Met Office issued a weather warning in London on Saturday as gusts of 40mph struck the capital and temperatures plummeted to single-digits.
The shocking incident comes as the number of rough sleepers in the capital has reached record highs.
There were more than 4,000 people found to be sleeping rough in London between July and September, multi-agency figures show – the highest quarterly total outside a pandemic since records began, after a 12 per cent increase in a year.
