A LANDSCAPE gardener shared a cannabis joint with a 14-year-old girl before kissing and groping her, a court heard.

The girl and her parents had visited Kevan Howard’s home in February, Bolton Crown Court was told.

The adults were drinking and the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was also allowed to drink cider.

Sarah Johnston, prosecuting, said that at one stage 43-year-old Howard was alone in the kitchen with the girl and gave her puffs of his cannabis joint without her parents’ knowledge.

After the parents also went into the kitchen Howard and the teenager walked into the living room, where he sat beside her on the sofa.

Despite the girl’s protests, Howard kissed her on the mouth and rubbed her stomach.

She was dizzy from the alcohol and cannabis and the sexual activity went on for 10 minutes before the girl’s furious father walked into the room and caught Howard kissing his daughter.

Miss Johnston said the father was disgusted and began shouting obscenities and, after the girl ran out of the house, he headbutted Howard and police were called.

Howard, a father-of-two from Wardle Street, Bolton, told officers: “I know I am stupid. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Howard pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and to possession of 100g of cannabis resin, which was subsequently found at his home.

Rebecca Sharp, defending, said Howard had admitted blame and was seeking help for his abuse of cannabis and alcohol.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Timothy Clayson said he accepted that Howard’s problems with drink and cannabis were substantially behind the offence.

He added that he did not believe the public would be served by sending Howard to jail immediately, sentencing him instead to nine months in prison, suspended for two years.

He will also be subject to supervision for 18 months, undertake 12 sessions to target his alcohol use and be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

He is banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

“A lot of work still has to be done to make sure the risk of this happening again is reduced to the absolute minimum,” said Judge Clayson.