Brian Melucci 29

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A serial sex pest is facing jail after being caught perving in the women's toilets in a supermarket.

Brian Melucci startled a woman as she went to flush by leering at her from underneath the cubicle in Tesco Extra on Norham Road in North Shields.

The shocked victim tried to confront the pervert, but the 24-year-old repeatedly ignored her and quickly scuttled to the store's exit.

Melucci denied charges of observing a person doing a private act and breaching a sexual harm prevention order following the unsavoury episode on April 11.

However, he was found guilty on both counts following a trial at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Thursday and has been warned he will likely be sentenced to at least a year behind bars.

The court heard evidence from the victim who confirmed she entered the supermarket toilets at about 7.15am, and noticed the middle cubicle was occupied.

She said: "I knew there was someone in there because the door shut and I could hear shuffling.

"My phone pinged so I got that out and turned to the left to flush the string. As I turned I saw there was a head on the cubicle floor.

“His head was right under, it looked like he was on the floor. He had something in his hand but I could not see what it was.

"I thought it could be a child because you don’t expect to see a man in there."

The woman instinctively kicked her foot out and demand answers from Melucci. She quickly pulled her trousers up and opened her cubicle door to see him making for the exit.

She added: "As he walked past I thought good God, it’s a man."

CCTV footage was played to the court of the woman following Melucci through the supermarket, repeatedly trying to grab his attention.

She finished: "I followed him out and said excuse me, he totally blanked me. He was smug and sauntered out."

The woman insisted she was "100%" sure the face she saw beneath the cubicle was Melucci.

Giving evidence, the 24-year-old admitted he entered the women's toilets but insisted it was by mistake.

Melucci, of Norfolk Gardens, Wallsend, who has previous convictions for exposure, assault and criminal damage, claimed he had not been home that night following a party and was "extremely drunk".

He said: “I had not been home, I was extremely drunk. I didn't realise I had been in [the women's toilets] until I was arrested.

"I know I didn't do it, I was not absolutely mortal."

Jonathan Stirland, defending, insisted his client had been falsely identified as the man spotted peeping underneath the cubicle.

He said: "It's not the defence's case that somebody didn't look, it's the defence's case it was not the defendant.

On the charge of observing a private act for sexual gratification, Mr Stirland added: "You are making a quantum leap to conclude there could be no other reason why a person could find themselves in that situation."

But David Ward, prosecuting, insisted there was no-one else present in the women's toilets and there was only one possible purpose for Melucci to be spotted in the compromising position.

He said: “We have clear CCTV showing he is the person she's following, he accepts that.

"That's the person that had his head underneath the cubicle, that's absolutely clear unless the defence are suggesting there's a mystical person who can disappeared from the cubicle.

"It had to be for sexual gratification, there's no other reason for it.

"To suggest this lady is making it all up and lying, and there's someone else in there, is a flight of fantasy."

Chair of the bench David Dawson found Melucci guilty on both counts, and sent the case to Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing on July 11.

Delivering the verdict, he said: “We're satisfied with all the evidence that only the complainant and the defendant in the toilets.

"We're satisfied it was the defendant peering under the cubicle, and we're also satisfied it was for his personal sexual gratification.

"There's no other reasonable explanation for these actions."