A creep faces jail for groping an elderly disabled woman as a birthday prank in front of his mates as she crossed a busy city centre street.
Adrian Scantlebury, aged 37, sexually assaulted the stranger in broad daylight as she used a walking aid, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
CCTV shows the street busy with buses and pedestrians, including children.
Judge Paul Darlow warned Scantlebury that he was at “grave risk” of going to prison.
He added: “It being his birthday, being out with friends, he thought he would humiliate a vulnerable old lady.”
The judge ordered a probation report but told the defendant there were “no promises”.
Judge Darlow said: “This was an unpleasant targeting of a vulnerable lady, apparently as some sort of joke for his mates.”
Scantlebury, of Reynolds Grove, Barne Barton, admitted sexually assaulting the woman on October 18 last year.
He has submitted a basis of plea that the assault was not motivated by sexual gratification.
Deni Mathews, for the Crown Prosecution Service, confirmed the woman was vulnerable because of her disability.
He added that Scantlebury had several convictions for assault and public order offences but had no sexual offences on his record.
The defendant was jailed for two years for malicious wounding, when he battered a man with a rolling pin as part of a vicious gang attack.
Geoff Parlby, for Scantlebury, said that his client was genuinely remorseful.
He added: “It happened in seconds, he cannot explain why he would do that”.
Judge Darlow released the defendant on bail until sentencing on April 12.
Latest cases heard by Plymouth Crown Court
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