A MAN who took advantage of a woman while she was sleeping has been jailed for two years.

The victim had fallen asleep after drinking alcohol, but woke up to find Robert Lees had removed her clothes and was performing sex acts on her.

Lees, 34, of East Hill, South Darenth, near Dartford, denied sexual assault, claiming he could not remember what happened, but was convicted by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

Francis Lloyd, defending, said the behaviour was completely out of character and was unlikely to be repeated. He had behaved wrongly on one occasion.

He agreed that the victim must have been devastated. The second he was told to stop, he did.

Mr Lloyd said he strongly urged that any prison sentence should be suspended with a condition to do unpaid work.

“This is a terribly sad case in many ways,” he added.

“Everybody speaks of his good character and general decency. All these matters combine to bring this to a lower level.”

Judge Charles MacDonald, QC, told Lees: “I have absolutely no doubt you knew perfectly well what you had done.”

The woman, he said, was vulnerable because of the drink she had. She was affected mentally by the incident. The matter was too serious for a community order or fine.

“In my judgement, you have shown no remorse,” said the judge.

“You are not particularly young. Really, I can see little mitigation. The sentence I have in mind is too long to use the power to suspend and, in any event, I would not.”

Lees will remain on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.