A man with learning difficulties molested a woman on a bus in Huddersfield because he “misinterpreted the signals” a court heard.
Michael Coonan was already on court bail for an earlier offence in August last year against a 16-year-old girl at Leeds Bus Station when he began chatting to a 43-year-old woman waiting to catch a bus in Paddock on January 14.
Michael Morley, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Tues) he asked her name and at one point stroked her arm.
When the bus arrived he got on and sat next to her. She had her handbag on her lap and Coonan suddenly put his hand on her left thigh and began rubbing it up and down. She was shocked and pushed his arm away.
Mr Morley said Coonan then put his arm around her saying: “Why do you look so worried, we’re having a bit of love aren’t we” and gave her sloppy kiss on her left cheek.
He tried to hold her hand and she told him “don’t do that” and pulled away. She turned to face the window but he tried to turn her back towards him.
When the bus got to the terminus he stood up and she could see he had an erection. When she got up to leave he grabbed her round the shoulders and kissed her on the side of her face again but she pulled away and walked off.
She said she felt violated and subsequently phoned the police with a description of the man and they recognised his distinctive appearance.
In the earlier offence he sat next to the 16-year-old put his arm around her close to her breast and kissed her on the cheek. She told him “get off” and pointed him out to a policeman.
The court heard Coonan already had problems before he suffered head injuries in an accident in 1988.
Lindsey Lobley, representing him, said he had support workers with him from 9am to 4pm daily but when left on his own like to travel on buses and was disinhibited if he had drunk alcohol. When the woman had tried to placate him he had misread the signals.
Coonan, 54 of Quarmby Road, Quarmby, admitted two sexual assaults and was given a 12 month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity days and a three month curfew from 7pm to 7am which would “stop him riding the buses” for a time, said the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC.
