A Suffolk man who sexually assaulted a drunken teenager after she passed out in his van has been jailed for 12 months.

Sentencing Paul Elekes, Judge Rupert Overbury said: "You had absolutely no right to behave in the way you did."

He said the victim had made it clear to him she wasn't interested in his sexual attentions and he had known she had a boyfriend.

"You took advantage of the situation knowing she had too much to drink," said the judge.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that the 19-year-old victim and her boyfriend had been drinking at a house in Fornham St Martin with Elekes and in the early hours of the morning she had gone with Elekes to buy more alcohol.

On their return Elekes parked his van and offered the teenager a cigarette before trying to kiss her and touching her intimately over her clothing.

"She told him to get off and tried to get out of the vehicle," said David Wilson, prosecuting.

The victim, who had clearly been drinking, sent text messages asking for help before passing out in the van.

When she came round she found she was draped across two passenger seats and her clothing had been interfered with.

She called Elekes a pervert and, after getting out of the van, told her boyfriend what had happened and the police were called.

In an impact statement the victim said she had been left fearful after the attack and was worried about seeing Elekes in his van when she was out.

Elekes, 37, of Queens Road, Bury St Edmunds, admitted sexually assaulting the woman in January last year.

In addition to being jailed he was given a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim for five years and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for ten years.

Stephen Mather, for Elekes, said his client had no previous convictions and was in employment.

He said Elekes was embarrassed and ashamed of what he'd done.

"Drink played a large part in this to no-one's credit," said Mr Mather.

He said Elekes wished to apologise for putting the victim through what happened.