York Crown Court (Picture: PA)

A horny pensioner who groped a truck driver after mistaking a lay-by for a hook up spot has been convicted of sexual assault.

Dennis Cockerill, 82, drove to the Skipbridge lay-by near Harrogate for a ‘bit of fun’, York Crown Court heard.

He then approached his victim, a lorry driver in his 40s, mistakenly believing that he was also looking for sex.

But unbeknownst to Cockerilll, the trucker had actually stopped in the lay-by to load pig feed onto another vehicle.


A jury heard how Cockerill got on the step at the side of the trucker’s cab and began chatting him up, before reaching through an open window and touching him on the arm, knee and crotch.



The shocked trucker then called police – who arrested Cockerill.

MORE: Video reveals what your noisy neighbours could be doing upstairs

MORE: Man guilty of kidnapping toddler and making child porn

He told police that he’d heard a rumour that the lay-by was used as a meeting place for gay men, and wanted to ‘verify’ the information.

Despite being charged with sexual assault, Cockerill, of Hythe, Kent, had denied the allegation.

The incident occured on the Skipbridge Lay-by on the A59 (Picture: Google Maps)

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe told York Crown Court that the pensioner had been travelling home from a shareholders’ meeting in York when he had stopped at the lay-by.

Mr Newcombe said: ‘He asked him about the bunk in his lorry and touched the lorry driver twice on the arm and touched him on his knee, then moved his hand up and touched him on his crotch, on or near his testicles.’

‘(The victim) was surprised, to say the very least, and nudged the defendant away. He (Cockerill) said, ‘I’m sorry about that, I thought you fancied a bit of fun.

‘The lorry driver clearly wasn’t up for a bit of fun at all and contacted police. The defendant told them he’d heard (the lay-by) was one of the many places in the UK where homosexuals meet and wanted to verify this.’

But he stressed that the case was relatively minor and was a ‘misnomer’.

The trucker told the court that he initially believed that the pensioner wanted directions, when he approached him at roughly 5pm on September 24, 2013.

He said : ‘He asked me about the bunk (bed) in the back of the truck and within minutes the hand came through.

He touched my thigh near my knee then slid straight up and made contact with my privates. I said I suggest you go away.

‘I humoured him at first because he was old and I have a lot of respect for old people.’

Cockerill was found guilty of sexual assault, but sentencing was adjourned for a probation report.

He has been bailed until the sentence hearing, but Judge Jacqueline Davies has told him he would have to sign on the sex offenders’ register.