No jail term for girl groper

A man who groped a schoolgirl, mistaking her for his own girlfriend, has been spared a jail sentence.

Martyn Holford, 21, pleaded guilty at Stafford Crown Court to having sexual activity with a child.

He was given a three-year community order with a condition to attend a sex offenders' programme. He must also register as a sex offender for the next five years.

The court heard how Holford of Laurel Grove, Stafford, had downed 20 cans of lager and had no recollection of getting into a bed with the teenager.

Mr Neil Chawla, prosecuting, added Holford touched her intimately during a party at a house last year.

He said: "He thought he was engaging in sexual activity with his girlfriend."

Mr Harpreet Sandhu, defending, said there was no indication Holford had previously made any advances to young girls and his girlfriend had told police at no point had he behaved in a predatory manner.

He said: "This incident was unfortunate. He started to express the horror he felt immediately. The morning following this incident he apologised directly to the injured party."

While sentencing, Judge John Maxwell said: "There are, in this case, exceptional circumstances, indeed they are so exceptional that at first I had difficulty believing it."

But he added: "I am accepting this was a ghastly accident, but I am prohibiting you from working with children, just in case there is another ghastly accident."