A MAN has been jailed for sexually assaulting a drunken 14-year-old girl.

Mark Nicholson, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on the teenager when he appeared at Basildon Crown Court.

The court heard Nicholson, of Barrington Gardens, Basildon, came across the girl and two of her friends near his home one evening last November.

Nicholson, who has no previous convictions, initially tried to help the 14-year-old victim, who was described as paralytically drunk and hysterical, and offered to call an ambulance or her parents.

Fearing they would get into trouble, the girls refused the offer and eventually took refuge in Nicholson’s house where the 14-year-old victim was sick.

The other girls then went home, leaving their friend at Nicholson’s house. He put her to bed, but later he went on to assault her.

At first, Nicholson denied the charges, but changed his story after police found his DNA on the victim’s clothing.

He said he was drunk at the time and had consumed around 4.5 litres of cider that evening.

The court heard the teenager had been left devastated by the attack.

In a victim report, her mother said she had been forced to change schools, had lost her confidence, was self-harming, and was too scared to go out or answer the door.

Cyrus Shroff, mitigating for Nicholson, told the court: “There was no premeditation in this case. The defendant originally did try to help and told the girls he would call an ambulance. He did not initiate being left with her alone.”

He added: “He is devastated by his actions, he cannot come to terms with what he has done and has tried to take his own life since.”

Mr Shroff also said Nicholson's family, who packed the public gallery, were standing by him.

Sentencing, Judge Alice Robinson said: “You have expressed considerable shame and remorse, which is quite right.

“This is an extremely serious matter. The young girl was extremely vulnerable as a result of having drunk far too much.

“Although you did try to help her, the other side of that coin is you abused the position of trust you had put yourself in through your actions.”

Nicholson was sentenced to 32 months in prison for the first sexual assault charge, and eight months to run concurrently for the second charge.

He will be on the sexual offences register for life and will have to abide by a sexual offences prevention order banning him from being alone with anyone under the age of 16.