A 19-year-old man who grabbed a woman’s buttock as she walked along the street has been given a two-year supervision order.

Stuart Redman, who was described at Maidstone Crown Court as having “mild mental retardation,” asked the woman whether she wanted sex with him.

But the youth ran off when she told him she had a boyfriend.

The court heard it was the sixth time Redman had sexually assaulted a woman, either by grabbing a breast or bottom, near to his home in Borstal Street, Rochester.

This was the first case that had come to court, however, and had happened in April last year.

Isobel Ascherson, prosecuting, said his victim, on this occasion, was walking along Borstal Street listening to music on her Walkman.

“She was aware of a male wearing a black hoody a few metres behind her,” Miss Ascherson told the court. “She stopped to cross the road and felt a hand on her buttock.

“She turned around and saw it was the same male. He still had his hand on her buttock and asked: “Do you have a boyfriend?” and “Do you want to have sex with me?”

“She told him to move his hand. She said she had a boyfriend and the man ran away. That man was Stuart Redman.”

At an earlier court hearing two psychiatrists had given evidence as to Redman’s mental state. Because of this the judge ruled that Redman was unfit to plea and unable to stand trial.

Therefore, at today’s hearing a jury was formally asked to agree that, as the defence did not dispute the facts, Redman had committed sexual assault.

Sentencing options open to Judge Andrew Patience QC were a hospital order, supervision order or an absolute discharge.

However, a hospital order was not suitable and an absolute discharge considered “quite inappropriate” due to the earlier incidents.

Making a two-year supervision order Judge Patience said Redman would be under the care of a social worker from Medway.

Redman, the court heard, had been in the care of Lambeth Social Services since he was 18 months but had lived with his aunt and uncle in Medway since the age of two.

They are legally his foster parents and Redman will continue to live with them. During the hearing Redman was allowed to sit next to his aunt in the public gallery and was often tearful.