Serial sex offender who wore silver wig and dress to attack a student in north London faces jail

A serial sex offender who donned a silver wig and a dress to attack a student after tailing her through the streets of north London to her own doorstep is facing jail.

Mark Brown, 30, was caught on camera dashing from his home in the distinctive outfit, including a little black dress, leather jacket, and flowing silver wig, as the 18-year-old victim walked home from a Freshers’ Week night out.

He followed her along the streets of north London before pouncing as she went to open her front door, sexually assaulting the terrified teenager before pushing her to the ground and fleeing.

Police found CCTV of Brown in the female clothing before and after the attack in the early hours of September 20 last year, and discovered the wig and jacket as well as a bra and latex gloves in his back garden.

He refused, initially, to admit it was him on the footage, but later admitted he had been cross-dressing and instead claimed he had intended to rob the woman rather than sexually assault her.

However, a jury at Wood Green crown court today rejected his story as they found him guilty of sexual assault by penetration at the end of a three-day trial.

The court heard Brown has previous convictions for “similar” sexual offending, and Judge Joanna Greenberg QC ordered a report to assess the future risk Brown could pose to women. She remanded him in custody until sentencing next month.

“Mark Brown targeted a lone, young victim as she made her way home from a night out during Freshers’ Week”, said Michael Oatley, from the CPS.

“Brown was dressed in female clothing including a short dress and silver wig. He stalked his victim before sexually assaulting her right on her own doorstep.

“The prosecution case included strong witness testimony and CCTV footage which showed Brown leaving his home dressed in the female clothing. At first Brown told police officers that the person in the footage was not him and that he had thrown out the wig which he previously used for fancy dress. He later changed his story and went on to say that it was him, but that he had only intended to rob the victim. He will now have to face the consequences of his actions.”

The court heard how the victim had been at a club night with friends and was walking home at 3.45am when she passed by the block of flats where Brown lived.

Within 30 seconds of her passing by, Brown dashed out of the block in his “distinctive” outfit and began to follow the oblivious victim.

Prosecutor Emma Smith told the court Brown struck as the young woman reached her front door, tapping her on the shoulder and then swiftly grabbing her from behind.

“Unsurprisingly she shouted to her attacker to f*** off but he pushed her to the ground before he left the scene”, she said.

The victim told police she had not seen her attacker’s face, only the silver hair as he dashed away, but knew it was a man.

“They seemed quite strong”, she said. “It was hard for me to push them away.

“It’s the kind of thing I wouldn’t think of women doing so I assumed it was a man.”

Brown was arrested on October 5 after police had seized the damning CCTV footage, and discovered the female clothing at his home as well as a rabbit roaming wild around his flat.

In police interview he claimed the wig was for fancy dress but he had thrown it away months ago, maintaining his bogus account at early court hearings before changing his s

Brown denied but was found guilty unanimously by the jury of sexual assault by penetration.

He is due to be sentenced on August 14.