A burglar who broke into a funeral home and had sex with a corpse lying in a coffin faces a "substantial" jail term.

Kasim Khuram, of Aston, in Birmingham, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to an offence of sexual penetration of a body at the Central England Co-operative Funeralcare in Great Barr on November 11.

The judge adjourned Khuram's sentencing until January 31, 2019 to allow a psychiatric assessment to take place.

Khuram, who appeared at Birmingham Crown Court flanked by a security officer, touched his chest and gave the thumbs-up to his relatives in the public gallery during a 10-minute hearing on Wednesday.

Also understood to be in court were relatives of the deceased.

Wearing a black hooded top and trousers and sporting a Palestinian flag tattoo on the left side of his neck, he stood with hands clutched in front of him as the charges were read.

The 23-year-old also admitted burglary of the funeral home, breaking into the building with the intention of stealing.

The offence he admitted stated: "You intended an act of penetration by a part of a body, by a part of your body.

"The penetration being sexual and knowing or being reckless as to what was being penetrated.”