Man Faces Likely Jail Term For Kissing Blind Woman Who Thought He Was Someone Else‏

A man has been told he faces a possible jail sentence after he kissed and groped a blind woman who thought he was someone else.

Stephen Hayes, 27, started slow dancing with the woman who believed he was a man she had met earlier in the evening.

She realised he was someone else when he tried to touch her under her clothes and pushed him away with her knee.

He finally admitted the sexual assault on the second day of his trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

The victim is only able to recognise people by their body shape and clothing, but cannot see facial features.The court heard she thought Hayes was a friend she had met earlier that evening and they danced closely and started kissing.

Miss Martin said that he moved to indecently touch her under her clothes and she then realised the man was not her friend.‎She said: ‘She did not want to carry on’.

She added that a doorman who had seen some of what happened intervened.

The woman did not make a complaint to door staff immediately but told a female friend what had happened.‎ Miss Martin said: ‘She decided that it was a horrible experience and that she would put it down to experience.’

But she added that police were called when there was an argument between Hayes and the woman’s friends.

Miss Martin said an officer visited the woman at her home a few days later and that was when she decided to make an official complaint.

She added that Hayes later said that he did not know the woman was disabled and that he believed what happened between them was consensual.

Judge Paul Darlow directed the jury to reach a guilty verdict and warned Hayes he could be facing jail when he returns for sentencing on February 27.....culled