Queanbeyan man Lal Ro Puia, 27, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, having pleaded guilty last week to committing two acts of indecency without consent.

Puia approached his 77-year-old victim as she inspected an item at the Holy Sheet! store in the South.Point Tuggeranong shopping centre in June 2021.

Described in court documents as having "a pencil moustache" and "wearing all black from head to toe, including a black hoodie", Puia pressed himself behind the victim and slid his hands down her hips towards her groin.

READ MORE COURTS:

One of the store managers yelled out something like "leave the lady alone" and "don't touch the lady".

As the woman turned to leave the shop, the manager yelled at Puia, "don't follow the lady, leave her alone".

"The incident left [the victim] feeling shaken and very confused. She was unsure why someone of [Puia's] age would do that to a woman of her age," court documents say.

Concerned Puia was following the victim, the manager called shopping centre security.

He said he saw the 27-year-old walk off in the same direction as the woman.

About 30 minutes after the first incident, Puia walked into another store within the shopping centre and put his hand on the backside of a young worker.

READ MORE CRIME:

"Hey, did you just grab my ass?" the 21-year-old woman asked Puia.

He walked out of the shop before returning three days later with a bottle of wine.

The young woman was alone in the shop, and she said she felt "scared and fearful".

She called security and "hid in the shop" until officers arrived. Security officers detained Puia until police arrived.

Puia, who is in custody on remand, has also pleaded guilty to taking a motor vehicle without authority and driving with a cancelled licence.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: