A 74-YEAR-OLD Cam stroke victim may stand trial for a series of sex assault charges in May, a court heard today.

But at Gloucester Crown Court Judge Jamie Tabor QC urged doctors and psychiatrists to assess Michael Webber's mental state well before the potential trial date of Tuesday, May 26.

At an earlier hearing Judge Tabor had commented: "He is a very disturbed man no matter how you look at it. I am not going to have him sitting in prison for seven to eight months while the psychiatrists scratch their chins. We have got to sort this case out as quickly as possible.

"He is a man of mature years. He is alleged to have committed some almost inexplicable sexual offences, approaching strangers. He is arrested and charged but he then allegedly commits further offences.

"He is then sent off to a mental hospital so he can be observed. He allegedly poses such a risk there to the female nurses that they remove him as soon as they can.

"He is not a well man. He has led as far as one can tell a blameless life hitherto and we owe it to the public and to this man to sort this case out.

"I appreciate it is a sensitive case because there are some ladies, and a fourteen year old girl, who have been frightened out of their wits by his alleged offending."

Defending Webber of Draycott, Cam, lawyer Sarah Jenkins said yesterday: "This all may be a sickness issue – his actions the result of his medication."

Webber, who did not appear in court, remains remanded in custody pending a further progress hearing of the case on Friday, February 6.