A STUDENT with an anticipated bright future is starting a 32-month prison sentence for taking advantage of a “vulnerable” young woman after a birthday celebration.

Samuel Bunyan’s downfall arose after spending an evening drinking with the fellow student to celebrate her birthday, in Durham, in June last year.

The second year physics student, of previous good character, walked the woman home from a city pub and claims he was invited into her bedroom to watch videos.

But Durham Crown Court heard the woman, who considered herself “seven out of ten” drunk when she retired to bed, woke suffering pain in her groin area and to find the jumper she had gone to sleep in was pulled about her neck, with her bra unclasped.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said she was shocked to realise someone was next to her in bed, but, still suffering the effects of alcohol, cried herself back to sleep.

When she woke again later, she sent a Facebook message to the defendant, who initially claimed nothing had happened, but, subsequently, admitted he remembered sleeping in her bed.

Mr Cleasby said when she pressed him further, he confirmed he had “briefly” sexually touched her, and was, “sorry”.

Bunyan was arrested and admitted the offences, telling officers he was, “eight out of ten” on the drunkenness scale.

The now 21-year-old defendant, of Diseworth, in Derbyshire, admitted two counts of sexual assault at his first crown court appearance.

His barrister Katharine Goddard said he was racked with genuine remorse and said the offence was a single blemish committed against a background of him suffering depression.

But Judge Christopher Prince said despite many glowing character testimonials, he had to impose an immediate sentence as Bunyan, “specifically targeted a vulnerable victim”, due to her drunkenness.

He made him subject of a restraining order, forbidding any contact with the woman, while he will be subject to notification as a sex offender “indefinitely”.