A man who pushed his way into the home of an 81-year-old woman has been convicted of sexually assaulting her and leaving her with a brain haemorrhage.

A jury took five hours and 14 minutes before convicting jobless Soufyan Yahyaoui by a majority of 10-2 on two charges.

It had been revealed during the trial how he is under a nationwide ban from going to any property because of previous sex offences.

He was also convicted in 2005 of attempting to rape a 37-year-old woman.

Now he will be sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court next Friday and the courageous victim plans to attend the hearing.

The prosecution had revealed how the 41-year-old pervert had forced his way into her home and snatched away her phone as she tried to call for help.

In May last year, neighbours found her slumped on the settee, partially dressed, a jumper ripped and suffering a bleed on the brain which required hospital treatment. Her dog had been locked in the conservatory.

Yahyaoui, of Parsonage Close, Tunbridge Wells, had denied trespassing intending to carry out a sex offence and sexual assault.

But he had admitted pushing the aged victim over, causing a brain haemorrhage.

He told the jury he had "a couple of glasses of wine" and had gone to the house asking about someone he believed had been diagnosed with cancer.

Yahyaoui said the woman went into the back of her home and he then stepped inside and made a "jokey" statement.

But the woman, who was holding her dog, told him to "get the **** out" and pushed him.

"I said there is no need to push me, I can walk out and then she spat in my eye and pushed me twice.

"Like an idiot I reacted and pushed her and she fell backwards on the floor near her stairs.

"The minute I did that I regretted it straight away and I bent down and lifted her up and helped her to the second or third step on the stairs," he said.

Yahyaoui claimed the pensioner was "a bit dazed" and he said: "Sorry I didn't mean to do that."

Maidstone Crown Court heard how his DNA was later found on items of her clothing but he said: "I wasn't trying to do anything (sexual)... one hundred per cent no... she is as old as my mum."

Earlier prosecutor Francesca Levett told the jury: "DNA, which could have come from the defendant, was found in a sample taken from the edges and inside of the front waistband of the pensioner's jeans.

"It is about one billion times more likely that Yahyaoui is one of the contributors than not being a contributor."

She also revealed how on December 23, 2019, Maidstone Magistrates' Court made an order prohibiting him from attending "any residential address in the UK unless particularised exceptions applied," and that the victim's home was not exempt.

Referring to past convictions, Ms Levett said in 2005 he had gone to a woman's flat claiming he was unable to get home and had nowhere to sleep.

She added: "The victim allowed the defendant in and almost immediately he began touching her sexually. He tried to pull her off the bed by her trousers. She tried to grab the phone and he took it off her and threw it on the floor. He pulled off her trousers.

"The defendant held a piece of broken cup to the victim's throat and threatened to hurt her badly if she screamed."

After carrying out the sex attack he told the victim he was sorry and started to cry.

The jury also heard how after his arrest, police found a number of USB sticks at his home containing pornography downloaded from the internet.

The prosecutor added: "The pornography included a small portion of moving images and images of rape and other sexual behaviour, including imagery of sexual activity with women who were unconscious."

Yahyaoui's mother, who attended throughout the hearing, burst into tears after the verdict and as he was led away mouthed "mum" as he was led away.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

For information on how we can report on court proceedings, click here.