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A drunken mourner who sexually assaulted a pub waitress at his grandad's funeral wake has been spared jail.

Lee Hughes, 22, sobbed in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as his behaviour was detailed and shown on CCTV.

A judge told Hughes, who was described in court as a "drunken idiot", his family's memories of his grandad's wake would be tarnished by his "utterly disgraceful" conduct, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Judge Andrew Menary QC said he initially intended to send Hughes, from Liverpool, to prison for six to nine month.

But he said he later changed his mind to a suspended sentence with robust conditions.

He said: “You should be ashamed of yourself, not only because of this catalogue of offending that night but happening at a time you were meant to be celebrating the life of your grandfather at his wake.”

The judge warned him that if he breaches any court orders he would be brought back and sent to jail. He also barred him from the pub for 12 months.

Judge Menary added: “The staff regarded you as a drunken idiot.”

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said the incidents happened on March 2 while Hughes was at the pub for the family wake.

At about 7.45pm he blocked the path of a waitress carrying plates and stroked her stomach, leaving her shocked.

She told her boss, who said he would warn him but before he could do so Hughes smacked her on the bottom and “winked at her and licked his lips.”

The waitress went to a different area of the premises but found Hughes standing inside the door and he squeezed her left buttock.

When the group was told that no more drink would be served as they had had enough, most began to leave but Hughes remained. The waitress offered to get him a taxi and another woman employee tried to help Mr Boyd to get him to leave.

But outside, Hughes smashed a panel in a door and walked round to the front of the pub. While the pub manager was trying to board up the damage, Hughes punched him to the face, splitting his lip, the court was told.

He turned his attentions to the waitress again, who was telling him to calm down, but he pushed against her and grabbed her wrists twisting them and making lewd suggestions.

Mr Taylor said: “He grabbed her by the throat with both hands and she was scared and shocked. He let go and put his hand down the front of her top.

“He grabbed hold of the material and ripped her top open, exposing her bra.”

He then pushed the other woman worker who tried to intervene, leaving her with a sore back, and ripped off his shirt and was left bare chested.

Two police officers arrived and went to handcuff him but he refused to be cuffed and a struggle ensued during which he and an officer fell to the ground, injuring the officer’s elbow.

They managed to restrain him using CS gas and he was taken to a police station and left overnight to sober up. The next morning he said he had no recollection of the incident.

Hughes, of Black Horse Lane, Stoneycroft, was sentenced to six months suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 30 days’ rehabilitation activities.

He also has to attend the Horizon sex offenders programme, carry out 240 hours unpaid work and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

Judge Menary also imposed a curfew with an electronic tag for four months between 8am and 6am.

Hughes had pleaded guilty to sexual assault, three offences of common assault and criminal damage.

Rachel Oakdene, defending, said Hughes had no previous convictions and worked as a plasterer for a metal work company in Widnes.

She said: “His bizarre behaviour was wholly out of character."