A TAKEAWAY worker sexually assaulted a terrified stranger in her own garden.

Muhammad Khan kissed and cuddled a woman he had never met before she fled inside her home, locked the door and called police.

Khan denied the attack at first but was found guilty at his trial.

The 23-year-old approached the woman as she tended her garden and said “hello” during the incident on Thursday, August 14, magistrates in Worcester were told.

She replied “hello” but turned away and he then walked on to the edge of her lawn as he tried to continue the conversation, telling her he worked at Domino’s Pizza in Malvern and offering, in poor English, to get her a pizza.

Sallie Hewitt, prosecuting, said: “She didn’t want to know anything about him or for him to know anything about her.

"He held out his hand and asked for her to shake it. She shook his hand but he held on and pulled her towards him.

"He then wrapped both of his arms right around her.”

In her statement, read out by Mrs Hewitt, the victim said: “He then tried to kiss me on my lips but I moved my head to the left and downwards to avoid that.

"He ended up kissing me on the forehead.

"I started to move back towards my front door. The victim still had both his arms around me but I braced myself against him and he let go.

"I was afraid this man would drag me into my house.”

She told him three times that she was busy and that her business partner would be back soon to try and get rid of him but he grabbed her again and tried to kiss her.

She then said “get off me” and managed to get free of the University of Worcester student before running to her front door, locking it behind her and calling the police.

Mrs Hewitt said he continued to stare at her through the window and was now wearing only a vest.

Steve Wetton, defending, said Khan’s mother died during the Pakistan earthquake in 2005 and his dad three months ago of a heart attack.

He added: “This offence is the lower end of the scale for sexual offences.”

Khan, of Stoneleigh Close, St Peter’s, Worcester, was given a 12 month community order but with 36 months of supervision.

He was also ordered to attend a community sexual offender’s group and sign the sex offender’s register for five years.

He was ordered to pay compensation to the victim of £400 and costs of £450.