A drunk woman who woke up in the home of a man she’d never met before later discovered he’d filmed himself sexually assaulting her, a court has heard.

The woman had spent the evening at a friend’s house in Needham Market and was described as “stumbling and being unsteady on her feet” when she left at 10pm, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The next thing she remembered was waking up the following morning to find herself sitting naked on a chair in a stranger’s house, said Wayne Cleaver, prosecuting.

When she asked what she was doing there the man said he’d found her in Needham Market and had taken her to his mother’s house.

He’d taken her back to her home but she had contacted the police a few days later after becoming concerned that he might have done something to her without her knowledge.

Officers traced 45-year-old David Spreadbridge and when they examined his mobile phone they found video footage showing him sexually assaulting her.

He told officers that after finding the woman in the street he had suggested going back to his house where he claimed they had kissed and unsuccessfully tried to have sex.

He said at no time had she told him to stop and he had no concerns about her giving her consent to what happened.

However, Mr Cleaver said the woman had either been asleep or unconscious through drink and had been in no condition to consent.

 Spreadbridge, 45, of Dene Cottages, Hampshire, admitted sexually assaulting the woman.

He was given a 16 month jail sentence suspended for two years, a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to attend a sex offenders’ programme.

He was also ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Joanne Eley for Spreadbridge said her client felt awful about what he’d done and the offence was out of character.

Investigating officer DC Evans-Eastman from the Safeguarding and Investigations unit based at Bury St Edmunds said: “I would like to pay tribute to the victim for her bravery working with us throughout the investigation to ensure we achieved this conviction. I would also like to thank the Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) who supported the victim through this process.

“Anyone who is a victim of any sexual offence can be reassured that they can and should come forward and contact us. All complaints are taken seriously and we continue to work with partner agencies to provide victims with appropriate support whilst conducting a robust and thorough investigation.”