Man admits sexually assaulting woman in queue to see Queen lying in state

Adeshina Adio jumped into the River Thames in an attempt to evade arrest

A man has admitted sexually assaulting a woman in the queue to attend the Queen’s lying in state.

Adeshina Adio, 20, exposed himself and pushed into the mourner from behind, as she waited in line at Victoria Tower Gardens at around 7.30pm on September 14 – the day Westminster Hall opened its doors to the public to pay respects.

He jumped into the River Thames in an attempt to evade arrest before coming out of the water and being detained.

Adio, from Walworth, south-east London, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit.

He spoke to confirm his name and date of birth before pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

He denied a further count of sexual assaulting an unknown woman and prosecutor Felicia Davy said the pleas were “acceptable to the Crown”.

Judge Jeffrey Pegden KC remanded Adio, who was in breach of a suspended sentence, in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing on November 25.

The final members of the public pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, lying in state on the catafalque in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster (via REUTERS)

He has eight previous convictions for 29 offences, including sexual offences between 2020 and this year, and was handed an SHPO at Inner London Crown Court on August 3 which prohibits him from touching or exposing himself in a public place, save for a public toilet.

At an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Alex Adowale described Adio’s behaviour as “very concerning”.

He said: “Over the past two years, the defendant has committed a number of offences.

“The defendant poses a real threat to members of the public, namely women.”

Outlining the allegations, he said: “The defendant was part of the queue to see the resting in state of Queen Elizabeth II.”

He allegedly targeted two women who were among around 250,000 people who waited in line along the banks of the River Thames to view the Queen’s coffin.

Black Rod walks through Westminster Hall at 06:29am to pay respect on the final day of the lying in state at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II (AP)

Mr Adowale said the first complainant noticed Adio because she had not previously seen him, despite having waited in the queue with the same people for hours.

“She noticed the defendant was getting closer to her, he was touching her back. She describes the defendant pushing into her, she could feel something touching her back,” he said.

The woman turned around to see Adio had exposed himself, the prosecutor said, adding: “At the time she was very concerned but did not want to alert the defendant to the fact she realised what he was doing.”

She then noticed him approaching another woman in the queue before exposing himself and pushing into her, said Mr Adowale.

“She noticed the defendant once again acting in an inappropriate manner,” he said. “The complainant was not sure if the person had realised.

“The defendant is described as trying to make off. He threw his mobile phone into the River Thames.

“The defendant is said to have gone into the River Thames in an attempt to evade officers before coming out a short while later.”

The court heard Adio has “complex mental health issues”, having been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.

District Crown prosecutor Anita Arora said: “Adio targeted a young woman in the queue who was waiting patiently with other family members to see the lying in state of Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth.

“He subjected the victim to a very public sexual assault and exposed himself to her.

“The victim was so concerned about his behaviour that she and her sister tried to form a barrier to prevent him reaching others in the queue.

“They alerted the security staff who called the police.

“This incident was hugely distressing for the victim and her family who were with her at the time, and she behaved with composure and courage.

“What Adio did was disgusting, especially given the sombre nature of the event and the dignity of the vast majority of people attending the lying-in-state during the period of national mourning.

“On arrest the defendant had initially denied any sexual assault, but the evidence was overwhelming.

“I hope that this prosecution encourages others who have been affected by this type of assault to come forward.”