Carl Stewart

A 65-year-old man from Great Yarmouth has admitted to sexually assaulting a young woman on a train in Norfolk, leading to court proceedings at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court.

The incident occurred on February 11, when Carl Stewart, residing on Camden Road in Great Yarmouth, approached a group of friends on a train journey from Great Yarmouth to Norwich. The victim, a 21-year-old woman, was seated at a table with three friends when Stewart slammed his hands on the table and lunged towards her, squeezing her thigh in a sexual manner. This act constituted the sexual assault charge against him.

Initially, Stewart had denied the offence, but on the day his trial was due to commence at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court, he changed his plea to guilty. Mark Jackson, the prosecuting counsel, detailed the events to the court, emphasising the distressing nature of the approach and the physical contact made. In mitigation, Simon Nicholls, representing Stewart, noted that his client had entered the guilty plea to spare the victim and her friends the ordeal of a full trial.

Deputy District Judge Roy Brown presided over the hearing and warned that all sentencing options remained open. Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced at the same court on May 4. Additionally, charges of affray at Wymondham Police Investigation Centre and assault by beating, related to the same date, were dropped during the proceedings.

The case was reported by the Eastern Daily Press, with the article authored by Anthony Carroll, highlighting the incident's occurrence within the Norfolk region.