A troubled teenager subjected a deaf woman to a terrifying ordeal when he barged his way into her home repeatedly and stole her purse and money.
Michael Greenaway suffers from a severe form of autism and was at home on holiday in Exeter from his residential school near Tavistock when he developed a compulsive urge to visit victim Jean Stevenson.
She is in her sixties, suffers from partial deafness and lives alone. She was terrified when Greenaway talked his way into her flat by posing as a neighbour's son and then asked her for sex.
He returned four more times, pushing her over on one occasion, stealing on two more, and trying barging his way in on the final visit.
The victim only called the police after complaining to her neighbour and finding out she had nothing to do with Greenaway.
He has now been banned from going anywhere near her home by a restraining order and curfewed to keep him at his parents' home overnight.
Greenaway, aged 18, of Orwell Garth, Exeter, who was a student at the Chelfham College in Bere Alston, Tavistock, admitted battery, two burglaries, criminal damage and two offences of violent entry into a home.
He was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, curfewed for six months and ordered to receive 12 months supervision by Recorder Mr Frank Abbott.
He spared him an immediate jail sentence after ensuring that a care package is in place which will allow Greenaway to receive support and treatment while preventing him going back to the victim's home.
He told him:"I appreciate you have problems. I was going to send you to prison but I am not going to now. If you come back here again you will go to jail.
"These are serious offences and the lady who was assaulted and burgled must have been extremely upset. There must be no more drinking or taking legal highs."
Miss Beth Heaton, prosecuting, said all the offences took place over a short period of time in August when Greenaway was still aged 17 and on holiday from his residential school.
On the first visit he turned up at the flat in Whipton Village Road giving his name as Jason and saying he was the son of a neighbour, and asked for a chat.
Miss Heaton said:"He went into the living room and sat down and asked if she would have sex with him. She said no and asked him to leave. She went to the hallway where he pushed her over twice before he went."
He came back two days later, pushed inside and went straight to her bedroom where he took an empty wallet. He did the same shortly afterwards, taking £13 which the victim had set aside to pay a newspaper bill.
He made two more visits, shoving his foot in the door and undoing the chain on one occasion. CCTV caught him going to the scene and he was arrested after the householder realised he had nothing to do with her neighbour.
Mr Will Rose, defending, said Greenaway had very serious problems with autism, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD, and speech and hearing problems and had been a resident at the Priory run school near Tavistock.
He has since left because he has turned 18 but is now part of an outreach programme run by the school.
Mr Rose said Greenaway had found himself mixing with unsuitable company while on holiday at home and his roll-up cigarette had been spiked with a legal high called Spice, leading him to behave as he did.
He said the nature of his disorder meant that once he had been to Ms Stevenson's flat he felt a compulsion to return there.
