A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting a ‘vulnerable’ teenager at her home in Warrington.

The court heard of how James Thomason arrived at the victim’s father’s address to check on her welfare, before proceeding to sexually assault her.

Thomason, of Cavendish Close, Old Hall, appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to one count of assault by penetration and a second of sexual assault.

Prosecuting, David Watson said the incident took place in April.

He said that Thomason, 23, went to visit the victim at her father’s home with the intention to comfort and check on her.

The court then heard how the defendant stood up to give her a hug and picked her up, pulling him against her.

After putting her down, he then began to rub her leg and inappropriately touch her and attempted to penetrate her with his fingers before unzipping her pyjamas and beginning to ‘squeeze, suck and lick her breasts’.

When the victim zipped her clothing back up and stated she felt ‘uncomfortable’ Thomason continued to force himself on her, unzipping her clothing once again and continuing the attack.

Mr Watson stated that the victim expressed being ‘in pain’ at which point the defendant then stopped the assault and immediately told her that he was sorry and felt bad for his actions.

Thomason gave the female a hug before advising her not to tell anyone what had happened.

Shortly after the incident the victim told Thomason she wanted to go to the shops, clearly distressed by the events that had just taken place, and both her and the defendant left.

She then called an ambulance to report that she had been subjected to abuse and the police then became involved.

The court heard how Thomason also called the police in the early hours of the following morning to confess what he had done and admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong and commented on the fact the victim seemed ‘nervous’ at the time of the incident.

The victim wrote a statement which was read out to the court and stated that the incident had made her mental health ‘worse’.

Defending, Maria Masselis, said: “He knows the seriousness of what he has done.

“He is shocked by what he did, struggles to understand what he did.

“I suspect he will feel bad for everyday for the rest of his life for this.”

She told the court that the offence was an isolated incident with no previous related convictions and that Thomason had experienced a ‘traumatic’ childhood having experienced abuse and been in care since the age of five.

Concluding, Judge Clement Goldstone said: “You knew she was highly vulnerable.

“A casual hug became much more intimate.”

“The degree of psychological harm has been described as severe.”

The judge added that mitigating factors to the case included Thomason’s show of ‘remorse’ which he noted as ‘genuine’.

Thomason was handed four years and 8 months of imprisonment for both counts of which he will be made to serve one half of.

An unlimited restraining order has also been put in place against the victim.