An Adelaide driving instructor who abused his position of power to assault five students is behind bars after a late admission of guilt to his crimes.
Kenneth Campbell, 64, was on trial in the Adelaide Magistrates Court after pleading not guilty to 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault over a period of seven years.
But during his trial, Campbell changed his plea to guilty to three of the charges and four counts of an amended charge of aggravated assault.
Prosecutors withdrew four of the other charges.
Before the change of plea, the court heard the Eden Hills man inappropriately touched some of his students during driving lessons or while parked at their homes to "congratulate" them for performing a driving manoeuvre correctly.
The court also heard Campbell abused his position of power and acted in an "opportunistic" manner against the victims — two of whom were high school students at the time.
Prosecutors told the court Campbell was arrested in June 2020 after two victims separately reported incidents to police.
The court heard three other women, who were unknown to each other, later came forward after seeing media reports about the arrest of an eastern-suburbs driving instructor.
During the trial, the court heard Campbell had told investigating officers the offending never occurred or was an accident, denying ever acting in a sexually inappropriate manner.
Magistrate Karim Soetratma revoked Campbell's bail after his guilty plea and remanded him in custody.
The matter returns to court in September.
