A disc jockey carried out a string of sex attacks on women on their way home - including three in one night, an Old Bailey court heard.

Richard Baker allegedly attempted to assault a 16-year-old girl in Southend - then carried out an attack on another woman in the town before allegedly raping a woman in north London - all within a few hours of each other.

The Old Bailey jury was told Baker would sob on his knees and apologise to his victims after subjecting them to prolonged and degrading ordeals.

His show of remorse to some of the women was just one of a number of "striking similarities" between the incidents Baker admits and those which he denies.

The part-time disc jockey admits a string of sexual assaults on young women in Southend, London and Brighton, but he denies he raped four of his victims.

One of the alleged rapes involved a horrific attack on a 15-year-old schoolgirl in the grounds of Belfairs swimming pool off Eaton Road, Leigh, on August 31 last year.

The terrified girl was told by Baker that if she screamed he would "break her neck", the court heard.

She was said to have been made to strip naked and lay on her clothes by Baker who called her Claire and said she needn't worry about getting pregnant because he had "had the snip".

Baker, 34, originally from Bodmin, Cornwall, who regularly spent time working in Spain, is accused of a total of 13 attacks on 12 women aged 15 to 35 between May and December last year.

These include an attempted indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl in Queensway, Southend, on September 12 last year where the victim's boyfriend fought the attacker off and an indecent assault hours later on a 21-year-old woman in nearby Beedell Road, Westcliff, which Baker admits.

Nicholas Hilliard, prosecuting, said: "There are so many common features between the attacks that the defendant must also be responsible for the offences he denies."

The court heard these similarities included the way in which the attacker struck, his demands for money, his method of attack, questions he asked and the elaborate sob stories he spun to try and make them feel sorry for him.

Mr Hilliard added: "He would tell his victims sob stories - try to win their sympathy - which shows how cunning and dishonest he was and the lengths he would go to avoid detection."

The trial continues.

The charges

13/5/98: Indecent assault on a 22-year-old girl in Kilburn, London. Baker pleaded not guilty.

19/5/98: Indecent assault on a 35-year-old woman in Highgate, London. Baker pleaded guilty.

25/5/98: Rape of a 16-year-old girl in Kentish Town, London. Baker admits he attacked but denies he raped her.

29/5/98: Rape of an 18-year-old woman in Brighton. Baker admits attacking her but denies it was rape.

31/8/98: Rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Eaton Road, Leigh. Again Baker denies he raped her.

12/9/98: Attempted indecent assault of a 16-year-old girl in Queensway, Southend, and affray on her boyfriend. Baker denies both charges.

12/9/98: Indecent assault on a 22-year-old woman in Beedell Avenue, Westcliff. Baker pleaded guilty to this.

13/9/98: Rape of a 26-year-old woman in St John's Wood, London. Baker admits the attack but denies rape.

28/10/98: Indecent assault of a 21-year-old woman in Bethnal Green, London. Baker pleads not guilty.

29/10/98: Indecent assault on a 22-year-old woman in West Hampstead. Baker pleaded guilty to this charge.

11/12/98: Indecent assault on a 25-year-old woman in Regents Park, London. Baker pleaded guilty to this.

11/12/98: A 35-year-old woman is assaulted in Regents Park, London. Baker pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.

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