A north London man has admitted attacking two women in one morning, punching them repeatedly in the face.
Mentesnot Cheru, 29, carried out the attacks minutes apart on a rainy weekday in Tottenham.
Despite grabbing and punching his victims, Cheru was just trying to be "friendly", his defence lawyer argued.
The 29-year-old’s first victim told police how she saw a man running towards her at around 10.20am on April 4, while she was on her way to work.
She thought nothing of it because of the bad weather, according to prosecuting lawyer Bhavin Patel.
"She then looks over and he is right behind her,” Mr Patel added.
Mr Patel said Cheru then sexually assaulted her.
Cheru, of Winchelsea Road, Tottenham, allegedly then called his victim a "f****** bitch" and started to punch her after she told him he had the wrong person.
A man who saw the attack chased Cheru away but the woman was left "shocked and traumatised by what happened,” Mr Patel said.
Minutes later another woman was "slapped hard on the bottom from behind" by Cheru in a nearby street.
When she turned around Cheru punched her in the face, leaving her dizzy and in pain.
He then said to her: "I know you."
While this initially confused the woman, she later recalled Cheru approaching her in public on previous occasions and trying to talk to her.
Cheru was not arrested until nearly a month later when the man who had chased him away from his first victim spotted him wearing the same black coat and alerted police.
The two victims picked Cheru out in an identity parade.
Cheru's lawyer Robert Kaim said: "Mr Cheru, whether it was love, lust or whatever, was trying to be friendly. He didn't mean it to be as it was."
His first victim, who has suffered panic attacks since the assault, said in a statement read out in court: "I couldn't believe someone had attacked me for no reason. I am almost paranoid it will happen again."
Cheru also pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis after a separate incident on March 3.
After he pleaded guilty to the two sexual assaults, chairwoman of the bench Dora Lawson ordered he be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court at a later date.
This is because of the severity of the offences, which carry a minimum sentence of two years and six months in prison.
Additional reporting by Press Association
