A man who sexually assaulted a sleeping woman after she had taken pity on him and allowed him to stay at her home has been jailed for seven years.

Tony Potter, 41, was invited to stay at the woman's home after she believed he was struggling with his mental health. However, after a night of drinking, the woman woke up from sleeping to find Potter sexually assaulting her.

The woman tried to stop the attack, but Potter refused to let go. In desperation, she grabbed a fork and struck him in the face. She then accused him of raping her, but Potter laughed it off and downplayed the seriousness of the situation.

Potter denied the offence, but was found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration following a trial. He appeared at Newcastle Crown Court via video link from HMP Durham to be sentenced on Monday.

The court heard that Potter had put something on social media which made the woman believe he was struggling with his mental health. The woman reached out to him and offered to meet up. They spent several hours together at a house, where they both consumed alcohol and Valium before going to sleep.

In the morning, the woman was woken up by a painful sensation and realized Potter was sexually assaulting her. She tried to get him off, but he wouldn't let go. She grabbed a fork and struck him in the face. She then accused him of raping her, but he made light of the situation, claiming she was a heavy sleeper and he was just trying to wake her up by biting her.

Potter left the woman's home and she reported the incident to police. In a statement, she said the sexual assault left her suffering from flashbacks and struggling to sleep.

The court was told that Potter had 29 previous convictions for 61 offences, including an attempted robbery in 2018. He had no previous convictions for sex offences.

Potter's defense attorney said that following the sex offence, Potter moved away from the North East and attended a 12-step program to deal with his alcohol and drug misuse issues. He had gained qualifications as a forklift truck driver and passed his full driving test, and had obtained work in the Blackburn area for a delivery firm in an attempt to put the past behind him. He had not committed any offences since 2020.

Judge Penny Moreland sentenced Potter to seven years in prison and imposed a 10-year restraining order. He will also be on the sex offender's register for life.