A drunk man mistakenly entered a flat through the unlocked front door before getting into bed and sexually assaulting a sleeping woman he thought was his girlfriend, a court has heard.

Aaron Riseborough, 32, had "drunk and drunk and drunk" before going back to what he thought was his Norwich flat.

Once inside, he took off his clothes and shoes before sexually assaulting a woman who was asleep in a bed.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, woke up to discover she was being assaulted by Riseborough who told her "he was drunk".

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich Crown CourtNorwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)Claire Matthews. prosecuting, said the woman left the flat to get help from neighbours who called police.

She said when officers arrived they found Riseborough "naked" in the victim's bed.

He was arrested following the incident which happened in the early hours of July 26, 2020.

Riseborough, who was at least three times the drink drive limit and had also taken cocaine, told police he had gone "into the wrong flat" which he had "believed to be his" and got into bed with a woman he thought was his girlfriend.

He claimed he had no memory of the sexual assaults because he was so drunk.

Riseborough, now from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, appeared in court on Tuesday for sentencing having previously admitted two counts of assault by penetration.

Eastern Daily Press: Aaron RiseboroughAaron Riseborough (Image: Norfolk Police)Jailing Riseborough for a total of five years and four months, Recorder Paul Garlick said they were "extremely serious sexual offences".

He said: "It's hard to imagine a more horrifying experience for any young woman to go through than to wake up in her own home and to find someone committing the conduct which you did against her".

Before Riseborough was sentenced the court heard a statement from the victim who said following the assaults, she had to go and stay with her mother for four months, sleeping with her in bed as she was "too scared to sleep alone".

Jonathan Goodman, mitigating, said it was an unusual case in which Riseborough, a man of previous good character, was "utterly horrified" to discover he had sexually assaulted the woman.

He said it had been a "horrific mistake" by the defendant, who was remorseful, and one which "costs him dear".

Riseborough was put on the sex offenders register for life.