A SEX pest who preyed on a married woman for two years has been jailed for 12 months.

Mohammed Ilyas repeatedly harassed the victim in the Fort Royal Hill area of Worcester.

He made suggestive remarks to her and tried to get her to drop a complaint she made to police about him, said Adam Western, prosecuting.

Ilyas, of Cherwell Close, Tolladine, Worcester, was jailed for 12 months. He admitted witness intimidation and harassment.

Judge Michael Mott also made a restraining order, forbidding the 24-year-old to contact the victim or members of her family.

Worcester Crown Court heard Ilyas was involved in 12 incidents of making sexual comments to the woman.

Early this year, he began working for the same company as the victim's son and asked him: "How do you know she doesn't like it ?" said Mr Western.

He also frightened her by staring.

The woman alerted police and, in July this year, picked out the defendant from an identity parade.

Mr Western said Ilyas later approached the son and asked him to get his mother to write to police and drop harassment charges.

Ilyas had served a three-year sentence for trafficking in class A drugs and had been given four months custody for harassing another woman, also in the Fort Royal Hill area.

Jonah Hankin, defending, said it was clear Ilyas had behavioural difficulties which had caused distress.

He suffered from isolation and a lack of maturity. He had not touched drugs since his prison term.

Mr Hankin insisted that the best way to protect the public was a community rehabilitation order, during which the defendant's underlying problems could be addressed.

But Judge Mott said it was persistent conduct which had caused the woman great fear and anxiety as she moved around her home area.