A SEX attacker who entered a woman's home uninvited and kissed her and stroked her back has been found guilty.

Martin Eastwood denied the attack on the woman in her Upton home but was convicted by magistrates following a trial at Worcester yesterday.

The 47-year-old of The Furlong, Powick, near Worcester had denied the assault took place on June 27 last year.

He pleaded guilty to sending an obscene or indecent message on the same night, including photos of himself naked and one message which read: "I know you're horny."

He later wrote: "I'm sorry about last night - I feel horrible for it."

It was a trial in which both the victim, who cannot be identified, and the defendant gave evidence. He accepted that he had helped the woman get home, describing her as being 10 out of 10 on a scale of drunkenness, but denied he had sexually assaulted her after returning to her home a second time. However, he was convicted by magistrates who said they found his victim 'credible' and 'plausible' in her detailed account.

Announcing the guilty verdict, the chairman of the bench told Eastwood: "We did not find your denials credible and we find you guilty."

Eastwood, who said he was 'seven out of 10' on a scale of drunkenness, accepted he had licked Irish cream off the victim's face earlier in the evening.

During one tense exchange in cross-examination Andrew Mitchinson, prosecuting, put it to Eastwood that he went to her house and 'you let yourself in'.

Eastwood replied 'no'. The prosecutor told him he had found her asleep on the sofa wearing only her pants. "I don't know - I wasn't there" said Eastwood.

"You touched her on the back - kissed her on the back" said Mr Mitchinson. Again Eastwood said 'no'. The prosecutor said Eastwood was told to leave by the victim. Again, he denied he was there.

He also said Eastwood had followed her upstairs. Again the defendant denied he was there.

Upon Eastwood's conviction, Mr Mitchinson said: "The Crown say this category one - forced or uninvited entry into a person's home."

He added: "While the offending may be at the bottom end of sexual offences it's the entry into the victim's home which aggravates this case."

The court was told that Eastwood had no relevant previous convictions. Magistrates committed the matter to Worcester Crown Court because they said their sentencing powers were not sufficient.

Within the sentencing guidelines, they placed it at category 1B which they said had a starting point of two and a half years in custody and a range available to the sentencing judge of between two and four years.

Eastwood was granted unconditional bail to attend Worcester Crown Court on October 15 this year. A pre-sentence report will be prepared by the probation service in the meantime.