A MAN sleeping off an afternoon drinking woke with a start to find he was being sexually assaulted by an intruder, a court heard.

The victim returned to his home in Spennymoor after visiting several pubs in the town.

Durham Crown Court heard that he went to sleep in front of the television, wearing only his boxer shorts, with a cover to keep warm.

Robin Turton, prosecuting, told the court he woke some time later with the sensation of someone apparently performing a sex act on him.

He told the man to get off and chased him away.

Mr Turton said he told a family member what had taken place the following day and police were subsequently informed.

It led to the arrest of defendant Jed Riddell several days later.

“He claims it must have been a misunderstanding on the victim’s part, when he woke up and drew the wrong conclusion.”

But, Mr Turton said forensic tests confirmed a match with Riddell’s DNA.

The victim said he had also put the door latch on when he came home, so the intruder must have lifted that and entered after he fell asleep.

Although the 27-year-old defendant, of Lakeside Court, Spennymoor, denied sexual assault and trespass with intent to commit a sexual act, he changed his plea to guilty to both charges on the day his scheduled trial was due to start.

The court was told that although he has some previous convictions, they were not for anything of the same gravity.

Lewis Kerr, mitigating, said on the day of the offence the defendant had drunk quite heavily himself, and now accepts there are “issues” he needs to address.

“He concedes his alcohol abuse had spiralled out of control.”

Mr Kerr said it was only at the age of 20 that the defendant accepted his homosexuality but he “struggles” to understand why he committed these offences.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Simon Hickey said they may have been, “isolated and opportunistic offences”, but they have still had “a profound effect” on the victim.

Riddell must notify as a sex offender indefinitely.