A DRUNK man who sexually assaulted a teenage stranger young enough to be his granddaughter in broad daylight in Worcester city centre is now behind bars.

Declin Dreslin put his face between the 19-year-old's breasts while she waited for her boyfriend outside WHSmith in the city's High Street, holding it there for up to 10 seconds. The 60-year-old of Barbourne Road, Worcester, who admitted the attack was identified because a middle aged woman took a photograph of him on her mobile phone following the attack on the student at 1.20pm on August 8 this year.

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said: "While she was standing there a man suddenly appeared and walked over to her and placed his head on her bosom and left it there for five to 10 seconds.

"She was aghast at what had happened and didn't know what to do."

Mr Lester said a middle aged woman with a child saw the victim's reaction and that 'it was very clear this was not some sort of amorous encounter', taking a photo of Dreslin while he sat on a nearby bench. In a victim personal statement the young woman said she suffered from depression and anxiety and was concerned how the sexual assault would affect her at social events.

"The first thing I said to my boyfriend was 'does this mean I can't go out into town by myself?'" she said.

She had been a victim of sexual assault when she was younger and the more recent attack made her nervous about moving to the city. This is Dreslin's first court appearance for a sexual offence but he has previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol and being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

Mr Lester argued that the offence involved 'degradation or humiliation' and could also be regarded as 'prolonged'.

Lee Egan, defending, said: "Your honour has noted that this type of offence is of a drunk man behaving in a way that is bizarre, threatening and unpleasant."

But he said there was 'nothing deliberate about this' and described it as 'drunken behaviour', arguing that the starting point in the sentencing guidelines was a high level community order with a range falling between a medium level community order and 26 weeks in custody.

"He expresses remorse. He's mortified by the way in which he has conducted himself. He's minded to address the problems he has with alcohol. He maintains he has not drunk any alcohol since" Mr Egan told the court.

Judge Robert Juckes QC described the offence as 'deeply shocking' and said the 10 seconds would have seemed like a very long time to the victim. He said: "She was young enough to be your granddaughter.

"She was, in the middle of the day, in the middle of the city here, waiting for her boyfriend and simply standing there when you - drunk - went up to her and dropped your head breasts and left it there for 10 seconds.

"It's the kind of attack which, in the middle of the city, at the busiest time of the day, makes everybody standing around feel, in effect, that the situation is getting out of hand, that people are drunk already, that the place isn't a safe place to be, that you can't be there, in the city, without the risk of being molested in some way."

Judge Juckes jailed him for four months and ordered him to pay a £150 contribution towards costs within six months.

He must also sign the sex offender register.