A Canterbury man who allegedly put his hands down the front of a lady rugby player’s T-shirt, has been cleared of sexual assault and discharged.

Christopher Kennard, 23, of St Thomas's Hill, Canterbury appeared at Canterbury Crown Court where he admitted he had commented about the woman’s breasts but denied assaulting her.

The woman said that in the summer of last year, she was at Canterbury’s Penny Theatre pub with her boyfriend, rugby playing friends and friends from the university.

During the evening Mr Kennard, whom she didn’t know, spoke to her and asked her to wish him luck in a drinking competition.

At about 11.30pm, most of the clientele were heading home and she was at the bar with her boyfriend. Mr Kennard approached her and asked if the man with her was her boyfriend to which she replied yes.

She said the man was very drunk and commented about her breasts before putting his hand down her top and squeezing one of them.

Her boyfriend pulled the man’s arm away and forced him outside where he punched him, after which the police were called.

Mr Kennard said he was in the bar drinking with friends and there were a group of lady rugby players having a night out. There was some friendly banter and he described himself as merry but not paralytic.

He mistakenly thought the woman might be interested in him and later saw her at the bar but didn’t realise she was with someone.

"I asked if they were boyfriend and girlfriend because it wasn’t obvious to me and I don’t believe the question was offensive," he told the jury.

Mr Kennard said that he made a comment about the woman's breasts but denied that he put his hand down her T-shirt and squeezed her breast.

He also denied getting aggressive with the woman’s boyfriend.