A CHEF who sexually assaulted a woman who had offered him a place to stay has had his name placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.

Paul Kelly, 25, admitted going into the woman’s bedroom in the Langlee area of Galashiels, after being out on a drinking session, and lifting the covers before touching her naked thigh.

Graham Fraser, prosecuting, said the couple were not in a relationship and Kelly had been staying on the sofa as he had nowhere to stay following a previous court case.

He said: “It is not clear whether he knew she was not wearing any clothes while sleeping. “But at around 3.30am on Sunday, May 18, she felt there was a draft between her legs.

“The sheet was lifted up and he could see she was not wearing any clothes. He touched her on the leg, halfway between the knee and hip.

“The complainer shouted 'what the hell are you doing’ and the accused said 'I don’t know’.

“She told him to get out of the room and he got up and left. She was naturally upset” Mr Fraser said that in the morning the woman told Kelly to get his stuff and leave, which he did.

Kelly later sent her a message saying: “Sorry, I hope you can forgive me.” Mr Fraser said police were alerted and carried out enquiries into the incident. He explained: “He accepted he touched her inappropriately. He said he had been drinking heavily and was staggering about.

“He bumped against a wall and ended up in her room. He said he had some contact with her but was unable to relay any coherent answer. The woman is still upset about it.” Defence lawyer Robert More accepted it was a “pretty distasteful incident”.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until October 27 for backgrounds and ordered that Kelly of Dixon Road, Whitburn, have his name be placed on the Sex Offender’s Register.