A Romanian national had not been in the UK long before he molested a woman outside a Medway bar, a court heard.

Liviu Petcu was drunk when he groped the victim over her clothes and exposed himself near The White Horse in Rainham on April 14.

The 24-year-old qualified mechanic, of no fixed address, was jailed for 14 months after admitting sexual assault.

Adrian Rohard, defending, said Petcu was offered a caution by police - but chose not to take it.

That was disputed by prosecutor Anthony Prosser and Judge Charles Byers, said: "I would be surprised if he was, but stranger things have happened."

Mr Rohard said Petcu recently came to the UK to earn money to help his struggling family with finances.

"He has been working as a labourer earning £40 a day," he told Maidstone Crown Court. "He was living on a travellers' site. He intends to remain in the UK.

"He believes he will be able to find work again fairly quickly. He does not intend to return to the area where this offence occurred.

"He would not have acted inappropriately had he not been under the influence of alcohol. He does not ordinarily drink. He made a denial in the pre-sentence report."

Judge Byers told Petcu: "This was a bad case, because that night you persistently touched a woman. It was dark. It must have been very frightening.

"Women have a right to go about unmolested. Being drunk, you subjected her to what I regard as a fearsome experience."

Petcu was remorseful, he said, and by pleading guilty had spared the victim having to give evidence at a trial.

"There must be an immediate custodial sentence," he added.

Petcu's name will appear on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.