A woman was sexually assaulted on a Metro train while unconscious, a court has heard.

The victim, who had taken prescription drugs that rendered her unconscious, was on a Metro train from Gateshead to South Shields on the evening of April 19 last year.

During the journey, she was preyed upon by Leon Clarkson, 21, who told witnesses he was her boyfriend.

Witnesses saw Clarkson repeatedly putting his hand down the victim's leggings while she was completely unconscious and unable to sit up.

A woman who witnessed the assault felt uncomfortable and messaged her boyfriend, who called the police.

Clarkson, from Houghton, Sunderland, has now been spared jail after admitting to sexual assault.

The victim told Newcastle Crown Court: "I had taken medication before I got on the Metro and I have no recollection of what happened to me. The police investigating the crime told me what happened. This made me feel ill and very anxious."

"I didn't know who this man was. I didn't even know what was happening to me. I was very vulnerable at that point and I think it's terrible he could do that on a Metro in front of other people."

"I'm very worried he will do this again to a vulnerable woman or girl. When I see a drunk girl or woman I now always tell them to get home safe and I worry about them."

"I truly believe if he is capable of doing this in front of witnesses on a busy Metro train he could do something worse to someone else."

Recorder Tahir Khan KC told Clarkson: "The complainant was completely at your mercy and you took advantage of her by touching her when she clearly could not be consenting."

He ordered Clarkson to take part in a sex offender programme and was put on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Defending Clarkson, Jamie Adams said that he was a vulnerable man and had apologised for what happened.

"The unfortunate complainant didn't know just how vulnerable this young man is," Adams said. "He has mental health problems and he was taking lots of cannabis at the time."