A MAN has been jailed for breaking into a care home and sexually assaulting a woman in her nineties.

Jake Morris, aged 24, broke into the elderly woman's room and stole a number of items as well as sexually assaulting her.

He pleaded guilty at Bolton Crown Court today to sexual assault, section 47 assault and three counts of burglary.

The 96-year-old woman suffers from dementia and Morris left her with an injury to her lower jaw and a bloodied mouth.

At around 7am on January 28 last year two members of staff at a care home entered the woman's room and noticed the window was wide open and the seal and metal window arms were broken.

When they turned the lights on they saw the woman was injured and raised the alarm.

A search of other rooms revealed two more points of broken entry, muddy footprints and grass on the floor.

Missing items included a television and suitcases.

Other rooms were found in a similar state to the elderly woman's and muddy footprints were also on her bedding.

Initial enquiries uncovered a man rummaging through a suitcase on a footpath which runs parallel to the rear of the woman’s bedroom.

Morris, of no fixed abode, then fled and two weeks of police inquiries and forensics identified him as the offender.

In police interview, he admitted breaking into the care home but claimed the woman already had a bloodied mouth when he arrived, he didn’t know why her bedding was dirty and denied sexually assaulting her.

During the court case, he changed his plea, admitting sexually assaulting her.

He was today sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Detective Constable Andy Partington of GMP’s Wigan Borough, said: “Morris saw an opportunity to sexually assault one of the most vulnerable people in our society and shamelessly took it.

“He has no place in our society and now, as someone who would stoop so low to break into a care home and violate the safety of the residents, he is exactly where he belongs.

“My only hope from today’s outcome is that the woman and her family can now be at peace that Morris is behind bars.

“They have shown a tremendous amount of courage in what has been an extremely distressing and trying time, which is truly commendable.”