A MAN who grabbed a woman’s breast after asking her to carry out a sex act in exchange for a cigarette has been ordered to address his alcohol problem.

Gordon Brown carried out the sexual assault while living in a Darlington hostel alongside his victim, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The woman was left so traumatised by the attack that she attempted to take her own life with a drug overdose, the judge heard.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said the incident took place on November 28 when the complainant knocked on the defendant’s door with a friend and asked for a cigarette.

He added: “After he opened the door to his flat, the defendant said - ‘if you **** my ***, you can’ – the woman was fairly shocked by the comment and replied ‘err, no thanks’ and it was at this point that the defendant briefly stepped back into his flat and then stepped forward and grabbed her left breast and said - ‘nice t***’.

“She was distressed by this and told the defendant that there was CCTV in the corridor and the defendant replied - ‘I don’t give a s***’.”

Mr Dryden said the woman immediately reported the incident to a member of staff and when Brown was arrested and interviewed he said he had no recollection of the events had he had consumed a litre of vodka throughout the day.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she felt ‘shocked and dirty’ following the incident and said because she has ‘delicate mental health’ the incident caused her to attempt to take her own life.

The 58-year-old, of Malvern Crescent, Darlington, was found guilty in his absence when he failed to turn up for his trial at magistrates’ court.

Amrit Jandoo, in mitigation, said: “This was a very unpleasant incident for this young lady, perhaps indicative of this defendant’s background and his history with alcohol, he couldn’t remember what went on.

“In his police interview he did concede that whatever had been alleged was the true version of events but elected to have a trial and failed to attend.”

Recorder Simon Eckersley sentenced Brown to six months in custody, suspended for two years.

“You committed a gross sexual violation of your victim, who was vulnerable,” he said. “She knocked on your door, asking for a cigarette and you met her with a disgusting sexual suggestion, which shocked her, before grabbing her breast – which it is totally unacceptable and done in a brazenly grotesque manner.”

Brown was ordered to attend 60 rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his drinking and to sign on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

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