A sex attacker has been jailed for 18 months after targeting a helpless woman late morning one weekend in the summer.
Worried passers-by confronted him and called the police but James Scott tried to pretend that the woman was his girlfriend. They had never met.
Today (Wednesday 24 December), Sussex Police said: “A man has been sentenced after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Brighton.
“James Scott, 45, approached a woman who was not known to him in the St James’s Street area.
“Witnesses then saw him sexually assault the vulnerable victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
“She received support from specially trained officers after she was taken to hospital following the incident.”
Scott, of no fixed address, stood trial at Lewes Crown Court earlier this month and was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault.
And on Friday 5 December, he was jailed for 18 months by Judge Stephen Mooney.
Sussex Police said: “The court was told how the incident happened at about 11am on Saturday 7 June this year.
“Witnesses said the victim, a woman in her twenties, was in a vulnerable position.
“Scott was seen grabbing the woman and trying to stand her up before giving her alcohol.
“He sexually assaulted her while she was not fully conscious and without her consent and, when confronted by witnesses, he claimed the victim was his girlfriend.
“But the two had not previously met.”
After the case, Detective Inspector Kirstie Neal said: “This was a distressing incident on a vulnerable victim in full view of witnesses.
“First of all, I would like to thank the victim for her support for our investigation, we were determined to get justice in this case.
“I also want to thank all the witnesses who challenged Scott, supported the victim and contacted the police to ensure swift action could be taken.
“We take reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and we understand the concern that this case caused.
“So we are pleased that a dangerous offender has received a custodial sentence and has been taken off our streets.
“We encourage all victims of sexual assault to report their experience to us.”
Scott, who has now started his prison sentence, was acquitted of one count of attempted rape.
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