Pervert spared from prison by 'merest of whiskers' after Kettering sex assault

A pervert was told he had avoided prison by the ‘merest of whiskers’ after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Kettering.

Lee Foster kissed his victim and inappropriately touched her before telling her sexual activity ‘would only take two minutes’ when she told him no.

The 23-year-old, of Spencer Street in Rothwell, denied sexual assault but was convicted of the offence by a jury.

Yesterday (Tuesday) at Northampton Crown Court he was handed a suspended sentence and was told he would have to sign the sex offender register.

Prosecutor Diana Wilson read an impact statement from the victim, written 18 months ago, and said she had trouble sleeping and flashbacks after the incident.

The statement said: "I feel sick when I think about the person who sexually assaulted me."

The court heard that the offence, according to sentencing guidelines, carried a starting point of 12 months behind bars with a range of up to two years.

Defending, Caroline Bray said Foster, who wore a grey hoodie in the dock, had committed no other offences before or after the incident.

She urged His Honour Judge David Herbert KC to suspend any custodial sentence he passed.

She said: "He has expressed remorse in the [pre-sentence] report and demonstrated that he has a stable and constructive life.

"He is just the sort of candidate to be rehabilitated."

Judge Herbert KC told Foster that whether he would be jailed was ‘on a knife edge’ and held him in custody over lunch while he deliberated.

And when he returned he ruled that he could suspend the sentence – just – with an order to take part in rehabilitation activities, carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and be subject to a six-month electronic curfew.

Judge Herbert KC told Foster he would have to return to court in three months for a review to see how he was doing.

He said: "I want to keep my eye on you to ensure you are working hard to keep to that order."

Foster kept his head bowed as he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He will have to sign the sex offender register for 10 years.