A woman walking in woods in Swaffham was left traumatised after she was approached by a drunken man in a car who attempted to sexually assault her, a court heard.

Shane Gilding, 50, was jailed for 14 weeks at King's Lynn magistrates' court yesterday, after admitting the offence.

The court heard from prosecutor Ben Brighouse that Gilding, who left his Watton home two weeks ago and is now of no fixed abode, attempted to touch the woman in Swaffham on March 25.

Mr Brighouse said the woman, who had never met Gilding before, was walking back to her car, when Gilding stopped his car next to her.

He said: 'He was asking for directions. She said she felt uneasy in the middle of nowhere with no-one around. She told him the way, but he kept asking various questions. His arm dropped out of the window, and, quite calmly, he made a sexual remark to her. The woman said, instinctively, she stepped back, and said, 'Are you joking?'.

'She ran up the track and then heard the man's engine turn off. She kept running, but the car drove off in the other direction.

'She called her husband and the police. The incident had left her very shaken and shocked. She said she would never forget his face.'

Jackie Upton, for Gilding, said he was quite intoxicated and did not recall what he said. 'He is very remorseful and sorry, It was completely out of character.'

She said he had started drinking when he was divorced and used to drive the car into the woods and drink.

District judge Peter Veits told him: 'This was an awful offence against this lady. She must have been petrified. She won't be able to walk in the woods for a long time.'

Gilding also pleaded guilty to drink-driving in Dereham Road, Swaffham, on March 24, when he had 100mcg of alcohol in 100ml of his breath, while the legal limit is 35mcg. And he admitted taking a car without the owner's consent in Watton on March 17. He was handed a six-week concurrent sentence for the drink-driving offence, but there was no separate penalty for taking the car.

Gilding was banned from driving for two years, and must pay an £80 victim surcharge. He will also be registered as a sex offender.