A MOTHER who was sexually assaulted in her own home had to move out of her house as she could not bear to be at the scene of the crime, a court heard.

The victim, who can not be named for legal reasons, was assaulted in her Bolton home by Gary Bradley, of Rupert Street, Radcliffe, who was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after admitting sexual assaulting her.

Bradley, aged 51, was at the woman’s house after a party in the early hours of the morning on October 29 last year.

The woman was asleep in her room and woke up to Bradley touching her before she forced him off .

Denise Fitzpatrick, prosecuting, said: “The victim described how for many months she had to go to work with her parents.

“While her husband worked away she went to stay with her parents. She felt unable to be in the house alone.

“She and her husband moved out of their family home in to a small rented house. They were paying rent at a time that they were having to pay the mortgage on the house.

“During that time, they tried to change their home. They fully changed the bedroom. The bed was removed and a new bed was purchased.

“She has experienced difficulty with sleeping and has been prescribed sleeping tablets.

“She said that she does not trust people anymore. She feels vulnerable and she will not let new people into the house. She will not socialise unless she is with her husband.”

David James, defending, said Bradley had shown remorse for his actions and that alcohol had been a factor in the incident but he was now taking steps to address his issues and had been sober for seven months.

He said: “He has apologised for his behaviour. He is aware that everything that occurred was his fault.

“The first step to Mr Bradley’s rehabilitation is to admit that and he has done so. He does not wish to dispute anything that was said or any of the feelings that followed his actions.

“The only other thing he can do is recognise what he did wrong and address that.

“This is not an offence or behaviour that Mr Bradley simply brushes off. It is a substantial and defining moment in his life.”

Judge Elliot Knopf sentenced Bradley to a 16-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years.

The judge told Bradley: “I have considered very carefully the victim impact statement and she states in clear terms the traumatic effect the offence has had on her and members of her family.

“You were drunk, you had a severe problem with alcohol at the time. You were clearly, by all accounts, under the influence of drink and other substances you had taken that night.

“What you did was abuse the hospitality that you had been given by her and her family.”

As well as the suspended prison term, he was also made subject to a restraining order and must attend a sex offenders’ group work programme.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of 10 years.