Serial railway sex attacker strikes again on Nottingham train

A serial sex attacker who targets women travelling by train has admitted assaulting two more victims near Nottingham. Clifford Hayes was banned from using the railway network when he carried out similar offences in both 2010 and 2016.

But despite this, on October 7, he carried out two more assaults on the Nottingham to Liverpool service against two separate victims.

Adjourning sentence until December 5 at Nottingham Crown Court, Recorder Jaron Crooknorth said: “You have pleaded guilty today and you will be sentenced in due course. Further information is needed before then and so you will be remanded until December 5.”

Hayes, 64, of no fixed address, appeared over a video link from HMP Nottingham for his hearing this week (Thursday, November 7). Asked how he pleaded to the first count of sexual assault on a female, he replied “guilty with apologies”.

Asked for his plea on the second, identical count, Hayes said “guilty with apologies again, Miss” to the female court clerk.

The defendant also admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences protection order (now called a sexual harm prevention order) which was handed to him in 2010 and banned him from using the rail network after he was convicted of carrying out similar offences.

In 2016, when he lived in Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, he was jailed for three and a half years at Norwich Crown Court for two counts of sexual assault of women on two different trains on the same day.

Recorder Brooknorth, at this week’s hearing, remanded Hayes into custody until his sentencing date in December.