A MAN who forced his attentions on a teenage girl at York Railway Station has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The 16-year-old girl tried to make Ronald Raymond Coxon leave her alone by pretending she only liked women when he offered to be her boyfriend, Jessica Strange, prosecuing, told York magistrates.

“He then kissed her on the right side of her neck and told her she was bonny before kissing her on the cheek,” she said.

He had drunk a litre of cider.

Coxon, 48, of Queen’s Anne Road, Clifton, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at an earlier hearing and his case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report. Before the sentencing hearing, he turned up in drink for a probation officer interview.

Senior magistrate John Stanley, sitting with two colleagues, told him his conduct towards the girl was “wholly unacceptable” and that he deserved to go to jail.

But after hearing that Coxon was starting to tackle his long-standing drink problem, magistrates suspended a six-week sentence for 12 months on condition he undergoes 12 months’ supervision.

He was put on the sex offenders’ register for seven years and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Miss Strange said the girl was on her own when Coxon approached her at 3.15pm on October 29. Initially he asked her for some money and then if she had a boyfriend and if she didn’t, would she like one.

The girl said she neither had nor wanted a boyfriend and tried to get rid of him.

After the incident, she was so upset she immediately contacted police and Coxon was arrested shortly afterwards.

Mr McGrogan said Coxon hadn’t intended to commit a sexual offence.

“He commits offences primarily as a consequence of him being an alcoholic,” he said.

“On the day in question he was in drink.”

Coxon was sorry for his actions and for distressing the girl.