A DRUNK pub worker sexually assaulted a woman in Worcester city centre, reaching inside her underwear to grope her bottom.

Joshua Doick carried out the attack while walking along the High Street in the same direction as the woman he assaulted, the victim at one stage knocking his hand away.

The 25-year-old of St Paul's Street, Worcester, had admitted sexual assault by touching her 'lower back and buttocks' and common assault by touching her chest over clothing two days before he was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Both offences happened on the evening of August 27 last year.

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The common assault involved him touching her over her clothing which was captured on CCTV. Judge Cartwright described how Doick had remained at a pub in Worcester drinking.

The judge referred to him as being 'plainly somewhat attracted' to the victim. "She wasn't interested in you" said Judge Nicolas Cartwright.

Judge Cartwright added: "You were being touchy-feely in the way she describes. She felt uncomfortable in your interest in her.

"You put your hand down the back of her trousers and your hand went inside her underwear so that your hand was on her bottom, momentarily skin to skin. She knocked your hand away."

The defendant then touched her chest area over clothing. Judge Cartwright said the assaults had had a 'profound effect on her'.

"She has had anxiety and panic attacks, something she never previously suffered from" said the judge.

Before he announced his sentence, the judge had read a pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service and a victim personal statement.

"Some months after the event she was still unable to walk home. She struggles to leave home unless she has her phone charged and was carrying a personal attack alarm" said the judge.

The victim also described how she no longer felt comfortable wearing tight clothes at the gym. She intends to meet the defendant as part of a restorative justice scheme.

Judge Cartwright took into account that the assaults were not part of a sustained incident. "It was not prolonged - quite the opposite" said the judge.

However, he considered it to be an aggravating feature 'that you were in drink and this was late at night'.

Although Doick pleaded guilty later than he could have (on Monday, October 11, two days before he was sentenced) the judge said: "The real point is that your victim did not to give evidence."

He also ruled there was 'no additional degradation or humiliation' as defined in the sentencing guidelines all judges must follow.

In making his decision, the judge also weighed the fact that the defendant had 'no previous convictions or cautions', describing him as a man of previous 'exemplary good character'.

Doick was made subject to a community order for 10 months with a requirement that he complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirements as directed by the probation service.

The defendant must pay £250 in compensation to the victim and a contribution to costs of £750.

Judge Cartwright told Doick: "I would be extremely disappointed were you to disengage from the restorative justice programme."