A 'RUTHLESS' man has been jailed for eight years after a series of sexual assaults against elderly woman, one of which was in Halesowen.

Despite denying any sexual wrongdoing, Richard Saillet, 64, of Crick Road in Rugby, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on May 11.

On each occasion, Saillet trespassed onto the victims' properties while they were alone in order to sexually assault them.

The Halesowen assault took place on March 8 last year, but further sex crimes were carried out in Bromsgrove, Oxford and Northamptonshire between March and May.

Jeremy Taylor, senior crown prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service, said: "On each occasion [Saillet] attended the home address of the women, who are not known to him, and touched them inappropriately.

"During the first incident, he pushed passed the victim as she opened the door and forced his way in. A week before the second incident, he called the victim, claiming someone needed to visit her about a survey. On attending, he said he needed to use the bathroom and when she found him in her son's bedroom, he forced her onto the bed. Saillet used violence during the last incident and got angry with the victim when she tried to resist.

"Saillet targeted the women due to their vulnerability and planned his attacks. He is clearly a calculated, ruthless and dangerous man.

Saillet denied any sexual wrongdoing but was linked to the crimes by DNA, number plate recognition technology, mobile phone analysis and phone billing evidence.

He was arrested on May 24 and charged nine months later by Thames Valley Police on February 21 this year.

Detective Constable Richard Lewis of Thames Valley Police CID, said: "This was a very disturbing series of sexual assaults where Richard Saillet has trespassed into the victims' homes to carry out the offences.

"Bringing Saillet to justice has very much been a collaborative effort between four police forces, the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service and I would like to thank all of those involved."