A man who preyed on vulnerable elderly women has been jailed for 14 years for attempted rape and four counts of sexual assault.
Harry Hankinson, 73, had been found guilty of the offences by a jury at Bolton Crown Court at an earlier hearing and was appearing for sentencing.
The court heard how in February, 2017, while Hankinson was a patient at a hospital, a nursing assistant was completing her ward observation when she looked through the window into Hankinson's room and saw that he was forcing another patient - a woman in her 60s - to perform a sex act on him.
The nursing assistant entered the room, disrupting Hankinson, and led the woman out of the room.
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In May, 2017, Hankinson, of Butler Court, Miles Platting, invited a woman in her 60s over to his flat for a microwave meal.
As she was waiting for the meal to cook, Hankinson pressed himself up against her back before touching her inappropriately.
The woman elbowed him away and poured her drink over him before leaving.
In July 2020, Hankinson visited a woman in her 70s in her flat before sexually assaulting her.
The woman struggled to get away before stabbing Hankinson in the hand with a fork she was holding. After being disturbed by a neighbour knocking on the door, Hankinson hurriedly left.
Hankinson was arrested a few days later on suspicion of sexual assault. Whilst making further enquiries in relation to this, a carer was spoken to who stated that Hankinson had been forceful and sexually inappropriate, pulling her on top of him when she went to wake him up.
Following this statement, Hankinson was further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in relation to this.
Judge Tom Gilbart was told Hankinson had 240 prior convictions and 547 offences and had spent 30 years of his life in jail mainly for theft, but he had committed a series of sex offences in the 1970s and suffered a mixed personality disorder.
He told Hankinson: "You are unable to consider the long-term repercussions of your actions and you have never received the psychiatric help you need because of your prison sentences.
But Judge Gildbart added: "I consider you to be a dangerous offender who poses a serious risk of harm to the public, especially elderly and vulnerable females."
After the hearing, Detective Constable Emma Cooper, of GMP's City of Manchester division, said: "Hankinson is a sexual predator who preys on vulnerable victims. His actions are despicable and unwarranted, causing a number of women to feel violated and unsafe.
"Hopefully this sentencing today sends a clear message that sexual assault is absolutely not acceptable and anyone who engages in this criminal behaviour will be brought to justice to face the consequences for their actions."
