A man who sexually assaulted a hospital patient was previously guilty of flashing a group of children. Russell Jones was jailed for his behaviour in the grounds of Whiston Hospital in Prescot, Merseyside, last October.
The predator also previously strangled a girl until she was unconscious, according to the Liverpool Echo. The 45-year-old appeared in Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.
The court heard Jones was going through a "breakdown in his relationship" at the time, as Robert Wyn Jones, prosecuting, described how he "began loitering in the grounds of Whiston Hospital attempting to befriend female patients".
The victim was an inpatient during the assault and was using a wheelchair. She was with her boyfriend and a friend by the entrance of the facility when Jones approached the group with a bottle of vodka in hand. She was escorted back to her room but "encountered the defendant on a number of occasions" throughout the day.
Jones "watched and waited" for her partner to leave before approaching the patient and attempting to push her back to her ward before a member of staff intervened. Jones claimed to know her when questioned and later harassed the patient and the same friend when they were having a cigarette.
Jones was said to have made an "inappropriate remark" to the latter, saying he "wouldn't mind having half an hour with her". Jones in court interrupted the prosecutor at this point to say "all of this is wrong" but Mr Wyn Jones detailed how he began to stroke and touch the patient's leg and was "moving his hand upwards".
He was arrested at midnight while still on location at the hospital and has a total of 40 previous convictions for 69 offences. The victim of the assault read out a statement to the court as she discussed the impact of Jones' actions on her wellbeing, including experiencing nightmares and panic attacks after the assault.
She said: "It happened in hospital, a place where I thought I was safe. I'm paranoid about people when they walk past me and what they might do to me as well. I don't want to be anywhere alone. I constantly think about this. What he did to me was terribly wrong.
"I want him to know I'm not scared of him and he can't treat me this way. I no longer have confidence when I go out and don't feel like myself anymore - I no longer trust anyone due to this incident."
Jones responded in court by saying: "I've got no interest in hearing her". Defending, Frank Dillon told the court that his client's mum has lung cancer and is "on borrowed time". Jones added of his mum: "The woman brought me up single-handedly. My mother is my world and I'm not with her at this time."
In 2015, Jones exposed himself to several teenagers in an incident in Warrington. He approached one of the youngsters and "placed his lips on her neck", grabbed her breasts and "tickled her stomach and ribs". When she responded by punching him in the face, he was said to place both of his hands around her neck, lifted her off the ground and strangled her until she was unconscious.
The callous assault was stopped as the victim's friends intervened, punching him until he released her. He was then jailed for two years while he has another conviction for sexual assault from the year prior.
Jones was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by a jury following a trial for the Whiston Hospital incident. Appearing via video link, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years and handed a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim indefinitely.
Sentencing, Judge Garrett Byrne said: "Clearly, this sexual assault had a real adverse impact on her life. I find you to be highly dangerous. You present a significant risk to members of the public, particularly women. I have no doubt you see yourself as some kind of rough diamond, but you are in fact a sexual predator who demonstrates a complete inability to understand how your behaviour affects other people."
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