A SUFFOLK College student's 'nerdish' attempt to chat up a fellow student landed him in court.Liam Harewood, refused to take no for an answer from the fellow student and overstepped the mark when he tried to fondle the teenager's breasts in the college canteen, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

A SUFFOLK College student's 'nerdish' attempt to chat up a fellow student landed him in court.

Liam Harewood, refused to take no for an answer from the fellow student and overstepped the mark when he tried to fondle the teenager's breasts in the college canteen, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Harewood ignored the girl's repeated requests to leave her alone and rubbed her thigh and stroked her hand, said Hugh Vass, prosecuting.

The girl was so upset by Harewood's behaviour that she reported the incident and he was arrested by police.

Yesterday Harewood, 18, of Springfield Lane, Ipswich, admitted an offence of common assault on the girl.

He denied indecently assaulting her and a not guilty verdict was entered on the court record after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Judge Nicholas Beddard adjourned sentence until September for a pre-sentence report but told Harewood he would not be sending him to prison.

"Your behaviour in the canteen was wholly unacceptable. People are entitled to their personal space without oafs like you invading it," said the Judge.

Mr Vass told the court that prior to the incident in the canteen on March 4 Harewood had made clumsy overtures to the girl which had been unequivocally rebuffed.

He described the defendant's behaviour towards the woman as 'boorish' and 'nerdish'.

On one occasion Harewood had hugged the girl in a corridor and said: "Where have you been all my life?" To which the girl told him in no uncertain terms to go away, said Mr Vass.

He said that after the incident Harewood had been temporarily excluded from the college and this would now become permanent because of his conviction.

Jude Durr, for Harewood, said that what had happened had been a somewhat clumsy sexual advance by a teenager.

Since his exclusion from college Harewood had been living in Bedford with relatives and was now hoping to find work in information technology.

Mr Durr said his client was articulate and intelligent and was capable of making a successful life for himself.