Image caption Councillor Ian Stevenson is a former mayor of Ballymoney

A DUP councillor has been given a community service sentence for sexually assaulting a nursing colleague in a care home.

Ian Stevenson, who was found guilty last month of deliberately squeezing the woman's breast, was also put on the sex offenders register for five years.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard the ex-mayor of Ballymoney could now be at risk of losing his job and his home.

Stevenson, 49, maintains his innocence and is set to appeal the conviction.

But he was told that he is entitled to limited credit for contesting allegations that he carried out the assault.

'Extremely distressed'

His trial last month was told that when the victim objected, Stevenson tried to laugh it off and joked that he would "grope anything".

Passing sentence on Thursday, the judge said: "The injured party had to come to court and was clearly extremely distressed in her testimony."

Stevenson trial heard he allegedly asked for a hug while talking to the woman on a corridor in April 2017.

She claimed that after raising her arms Stevenson, a nurse from Headlands Avenue in Ballymoney, grabbed her breast.

During the hearing she described responding by pushing him away and telling him "no", adding that the encounter left her shocked and frightened.

"He just basically tried to laugh it off and made the joke 'You know me, I would grope anything... well, not anything'," the woman claimed.

Stevenson, a representative on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, was suspended by the DUP pending the outcome of the case.

He has also been dismissed from his nursing position but is to challenge his sacking at an upcoming tribunal.

His defence barrister told the sentencing hearing that Stevenson has secured employment in another nursing area and continues to protest his innocence.

She described him as a man of "impeccable character with high standing in the community".

The court was told Stevenson still has the full support of his family, including his elderly parents who rely on him.

"Due to working as a councillor and a nurse his employment will be in jeopardy," his barrister added.

"He's likely to lose his home if he's unable to make his mortgage payments."

Ruling out any custodial sentence, the judge ordered him to serve 220 hours community service and placed him on the sex offenders register.