A 27-year-old man faces a federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to a series of gropings at Burnaby's Metrotown mall and a laundry list of other crimes in Burnaby, Vancouver and Campbell River.
Hayden McCorriston was in Vancouver provincial court Thursday and pleaded guilty to 15 charges.
Ten of them relate to a four-day crime spree in Burnaby and Vancouver that included five sexual assaults, one indecent act, one assault by choking, two other assaults and one robbery – all between March 31 and April 3.
The five other charges – for mischief, break and enter, assault of a police officer, possession of stolen property and breach of a release order – were for incidents in Campbell River in January.
Although McCorriston won’t be sentenced until a pre-sentencing report and psychiatric evaluation are completed, defence lawyer Cheyne Hodson said there won’t likely be much dispute about the facts of the case.
“The allegations are largely based on surveillance, where Mr. McCorriston is observed on various recording devices,” Hodson said.
Three of the sexual assaults McCorriston pleaded guilty to happened at Metrotown mall between March 31 and April 2, according to Burnaby RCMP.
McCorriston then made his way to Vancouver on April 2, sexually assaulted two more women and exposed his penis at Civic Centre Mall, according to information presented in court.
“This is a series of sexual assaults that were essentially, I think you could call them, bum grabbing,” Hodson said.
One exception was an incident at a Vancouver beauty parlour on April 2, for which McCorriston was charged with a sexual assault involving choking.
McCorriston pleaded guilty to two lesser charges for that incident.
His next court date was set for March 1 to confirm a date for sentencing.
Hodson noted he and the Crown hadn't yet come to a joint position on what McCorriston’s sentence should be.
“That will be subject to the pre-sentence and psych reports,” Hodson said. “(Mr. McCorriston) is aware, however, that the custodial sentence that will be imposed is most likely to be a federal sentence.”
McCorriston has been in custody since his arrest on April 3.
