A MAN who stalked his female victim for 15 minutes through Chester city centre before sexually assaulting her has been spared immediate custody.

Gareth Steven Roberts, 31, of Church Street, had previously pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the sexual assault on the woman, which happened by Hoole Bridge on the evening of November 29, 2019.

Prosecuting at Chester Crown Court on Monday, February 17, Jo Maxwell said Roberts had been drinking all day and began following the woman – who cannot be named – from Frodsham Street, past the Mecca Bingo Roundabout and up to Hoole Bridge.

Initially, the victim smiled at him, and he smiled back, but when she realised she was being followed she upped her walking pace.

She felt her backpack being tugged and Roberts said to her: "Let me take you out," in an angry tone.

As she walked over Hoole Bridge, Roberts lifted her jacket and touched her on her right buttock.

The woman shouted out to attract anyone in the vicinity, and then completed her journey home, where she called police.

Roberts was positively identified in a subsequent ID parade.

A victim impact statement said the incident had caused her significant distress and she felt extremely upset.

Judge Nicholas Woodward remarked: "Above all, she will be frightened."

Ms Maxwell added the victim had previously been confident but was now "extremely wary", unable to sleep properly for several weeks following the attack, and had to walk home with work colleagues for two weeks after the incident.

She was now looking for alternative accommodation, said Roberts was a "predator" and felt like she was being stalked.

After being arrested on December 1, Roberts said he had no recollection of the incident, as he had been drinking for five hours beforehand in town.

He had 10 previous convictions for 21 offences dating back to 2007, including ones for criminal damage, burglary, thefts, battery, domestic violence and breach of a non-molestation order.

He was on post-sentence supervision at the time of the offence, the court heard.

Roberts's defence solicitor, also named Gareth Roberts, said the defendant was completely drunk at the time of the offence, but that was no excuse.

A lot of his prior offending had occurred when Roberts was a drug user, having started taking cocaine aged 14.

Roberts had completed a drug rehabilitation order and had addressed those issues, but still had problems with drink.

Previous offences had cost him his relationship with a former partner, meaning he could not see her or their child, and he had been suspended from his managerial job at KFC.

He was "totally ashamed" and recognised he needed help to address his alcohol issues and his behaviour towards women.

Sentencing, Judge Woodward told the defendant: "You have a tendency to treat women with hostility and, as demonstrated, that hostility can lead to criminal actions against women.

"You have expressed remorse and I accept that is genuine. You have admitted this offence at magistrates court. The victim has known from that period of time you are admitting what you have done; that is an important step.

"It's particularly important that work is done with you to address the risk you have with women that you seem to impose.

"If I send you to prison – and you would have no complaints about that – it would not be possible for any work to be done in that short framework."

Roberts was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years. He must complete 60 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement, including the completion of the Horizon sex offender treatment programme.