Burglar admits having sex with corpse in Birmingham funeral home Published duration 19 December 2018

image copyright West Midlands Police image caption Kasim Khuram will be sentenced next month

A burglar has admitted having sex with a body after lifting the lids of "multiple coffins" at a funeral home.

Kasim Khuram, 23, broke into the Co-Operative undertakers in Walsall Road, Great Barr, Birmingham, on 11 November.

A judge at Birmingham Crown Court warned Khuram, who pleaded guilty to sexual penetration of a body, that he faced a "substantial" jail term.

Sentencing has been adjourned until 31 January while a psychiatric report is carried out.

Khuram, of Kenilworth Road, Aston, Birmingham, also admitted burglary.

He forced open the door of the home at about 03:00 GMT, a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spokesman said.

'Distressing violation'

He added: "While inside the funeral home the defendant lifted the lids of multiple coffins and sexually penetrated one of the corpses."

Officers alerted by the parlour's alarm turned up to find him still at the scene, and he was briefly sectioned following his arrest, the court heard.

Sentencing was adjourned to allow Khuram's defence team to present a medical report to the court.

Judge Francis Laird QC told him: "But you must be under no illusion that you will receive a sentence of imprisonment for your offending in this case - a substantial sentence of imprisonment."

image copyright Google image caption Khuram was arrested at the Co-Operative funeral home in Great Barr, Birmingham

Baljinder Kaur, from the CPS, said: "This is an unusual case and it is difficult to imagine a more distressing violation of a loved one.

"On the strength of the case built by the police and CPS, the defendant ultimately pleaded guilty and will now have to face the consequences.

"Our thoughts are with the families of the deceased."

A spokesman for Central England Co-operative said: "Our primary concern is for the families we serve and the welfare of our funeral colleagues who have all been deeply affected by this incredibly disturbing and unprecedented event.

"The security measures at Great Barr are such that the alarm alerted the police, who were thankfully able to apprehend the suspect at the scene."

Det Ch Insp John Askew said: "This is an horrendous and disturbing act. Our thoughts remain with all those who have been affected by this crime."