A New Quay man who crept into a holiday home and sexually assaulted a girl who was staying there has been jailed.

Samuel Knight, aged 35, had denied trespass with the intention of committing a sexual offence and sexual activity with a child.

But a jury at Swansea Crown Court returned verdicts of guilty and Knight was immediately jailed for three and a half years.

The court had heard how the teenager had gone to sleep in a room at the house.

In the early hours one morning the girl awoke to find a man in her bed and raised the alarm.

Knight was chased from the house and ran to his home at Glynteifi.

He was quickly arrested but denied being the offender.

Nicola Powell, prosecuting, said Knight’s DNA had been recovered from the cheek of the girl where he had kissed her.

Knight told the jury that a few days before he had gone into the bedroom in question, where he had kissed his girlfriend while lying on the bed that would later be occupied by the girl.

That, he said, explained how his DNA got onto her cheek.

But the jury rejected his version after being told that advances in DNA testing could show the sample was “recent and substantial”.

After the verdicts judge Keith Thomas said only drink could explain what possessed Knight to do what he had.

“You snuck up to that bedroom where you believed you would find a girl and you got into bed with her. You started to put your hands inside her clothing and left your DNA on her.”

Judge Thomas said he took the view that while the girl had been on holiday the house had effectively been her home at the time of the offending.

See this week’s south editions in shops and online now