A DANGER to every woman and girl in the country has been sent to prison indefinitely in a bid to change his ways.

Patient David Peter Curry, 24, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and was receiving treatment for twice attacking a woman sexually in a supermarket, said prosecutor Alan Mitchenson.

But that did not stop him sexually attacking a woman member of staff twice at the Stockton Hall medium secure psychiatric unit, near York.

Curry had to be pulled away from the woman twice. It was the second female staff member he had attacked there.

After hearing medical advice that a spell in prison might motivate him to co-operate with psychiatric treatment, the Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, sent him to jail indefinitely.

"I believe it should be many years before you are regarded as safe to be released into the community. For the indefinite future, you will remain a risk to any woman or any female child," the judge told Curry.

"You have a high sex drive and you have learned nothing from the sex offender programme (at Stockton Hall)."

York Crown Court heard that if Curry shows willingness to undergo psychiatric treatment while he is in prison, he will be transferred to the high-security Rampton psychiatric hospital, in North Nottinghamshire.

The court heard that Curry also has a past history of fire-raising.

Curry, no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two sexual assaults and was given a "indefinite prison sentence for public protection" which means he will only be free again when the Home Secretary believes he is safe to walk the streets.

On release, he must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Mr Mitcheson said Curry was sent to Stockton Hall after he followed a woman into a supermarket in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and twice grabbed her sexually in full view of other shoppers.

In the secure psychiatric hospital, he attacked a female member of staff at the end of a PE session.

Another member of staff separated them, but he grabbed the woman again, and again had to be separated.

In August, 2004, he was given a conditional discharge by York magistrates for attacking a female member of staff after distracting her with a request for a drink.

For Curry, Michael Greenhalgh said he was afraid of prison and may be bullied there.

He was also afraid of Rampton Hospital, but appreciated that his behaviour was not appropriate.