A MAN who admitted climbing into bed with three girls and indecently assaulting one of them as she slept has escaped jail.Mark Ambrose, 32, had drunk the equivalent of 15 pints when he joined a party at a private house in Sudbury in December last year.

A MAN who admitted climbing into bed with three girls and indecently assaulting one of them as she slept has escaped jail.

Mark Ambrose, 32, had drunk the equivalent of 15 pints when he joined a party at a private house in Sudbury in December last year.

Andrew Shaw, for the prosecution, told Ipswich Crown Court yesterday how, during the evening, the defendant had gone upstairs and sat on the end of a bed, where three girls he had seen at a pub earlier were trying to sleep.

Although unknown to them, Ambrose lay down horizontally at the foot of the double bed but fidgeted so much they eventually allowed him to join them in the bed.

The girl next to him – the victim of the indecent assault - was, at that stage, wearing pyjama bottoms and a top. He was wearing a jumper and jeans.

At some point during the night, one of the other girls was woken by the duvet "moving and shaking", Mr Shaw said.

The 26-year-old victim then woke to find the defendant pressed up behind her, indecently assaulting her. Her pyjamas and underwear had been pulled down.

There was a commotion and Ambrose was seen to stand up and pull on his boxer shorts and jeans.

The victim, who was said to be "shaken", confronted him in the living room and told him to get out of the house. He said he had done nothing untoward.

Ambrose, of Colchester Road, Bures Hamlet, later admitted indecent assault.

Craig Rush, in mitigation, told how his client was deeply sorry for his actions and wanted to apologise to his victim. Mr Rush referred to glowing references from friends who were reported to have been "astonished" to learn he could have been responsible for such an act.

Ambrose was described as a man of previous good character whose life had fallen apart after a separation from his partner and two children in January 2000. A vicious cycle of heavy drinking and depression had culminated in the regrettable offence, Mr Rush added. He added that the incident had been entirely unplanned.

Judge Peter Thompson, in sentencing, said Ambrose had committed a serious breach of trust in abusing the girls' faith in him but gave him credit for his early plea and previous good character.

Ambrose was sentenced to two years probation order, with £500 compensation to be paid to his victim. He did not have to sign the sex offenders' register. Judge Thompson said the defendant had been extremely lucky to escape jail.