A SERIAL sex pest has who repeatedly touched women inappropriately on buses has avoided jail.

Mohamed Alhamoud used busy public transport in and around Colchester town centre to stroke the legs and torso of unsuspecting female victims on seven occasions.

The troubled 44-year-old, who suffers from mental health difficulties and is an inpatient at The Lakes Hospital in Colchester, admitted five counts of sexual assault and two counts of attempted sexual assault.

At a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court yesterday, Stephen Rose, prosecuting said: “All of the offences took place on buses in Colchester town centre or on routes thereabouts.

“He would sit next to a woman on a bus and would use his bag to cover up what he was doing either with his leg or his arm.

“It was usually a stroking movement and always over clothing.

“The victims were left shocked and upset with a range of reactions from freezing in fear, walking away or a degree of confrontation.”

At a previous hearing it was claimed Alhamoud was unfit to plead because he had suffered torture in Syria.

Mr Rose said: “In a police interview he claimed to have no memory of any of these incidents.

“He referred to having flashbacks and hallucinations and he was suffering from psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress disorder from experiences in Syria.”

On one occasion on the 64 bus on January 27 last year, Alhamoud, who had to use an interpreter during court proceedings because his English is not good enough, sat next to a woman and began caressing her leg before working his way towards her bottom.

When the victim confronted him he told her he couldn’t help himself because she was so gorgeous.

On another occasion he walked past a number of empty seats on the 65 bus and sat next to a woman before touching her on the thigh. She rang the bell and left the bus.

Police worked with bus company First to identify Alhamoud as the culprit by comparing the times of the reported incidents and when he was using his bus pass between September 2015 and May 2016.

Judge Rupert Overbury decided against jailing Alhamoud and handed him a three-year community order with 50 rehabilitation requirement days and was made subject to a mental health treatment requirement.

He said: “Your behaviour was completely inappropriate and it is aggravated by the fact it was on public transport where everyone has a right to feel safe.

“You made a number of people feel unsafe.

“You do not suffer a mental health condition which requires you to be detained in hospital but I am satisfied your mental condition is such you need treatment.”

Alhamoud, who walks with a crutch, was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order with a condition he cannot use public transport without an accompanying adult aware of his conviction.