A BURGLAR who groped two women after breaking into their homes was ‘the stuff of nightmares’, a court heard.

Oxford Crown Court was told yesterday that Ashley Blossom, 27, of Lime Crescent, Bicester, was drunk when he ‘fondled’ a teenage girl and then a woman in her 50s.

He had broken into the teenager’s house on the town’s Southwold estate at about 5am on Saturday, April 6. The girl, who had been sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room, woke up to find him touching her under the duvet.

Less than an hour later at a different house, a woman in her 50s woke up to discover Blossom kneeling beside her bed and groping her. After each woman awoke he quickly left the properties and both then noticed that various items had been taken, including mobile phones, laptops and a Playstation.

Blossom, who was jailed for two years, told officers when questioned he had no memory of the crimes and had been drinking heavily on April 5.

He was arrested the next day when his housemate at the time Bethany Green tried to sell various items at Cash Converters in Banbury and told officers she had taken them from Blossom’s bedroom.

Prosecutor Michael Roques said when interviewed by police Blossom denied the two burglaries and two sexual assaults but pleaded guilty to the offences in June.

Mr Roques said: “These offences took place at night when the homeowners were there. He was drinking a significant amount of alcohol at the time which might explain why he committed the offences.”

Defending Blossom, Benjamin Thiele-Long said he had no previous convictions and had recognised that he had a problem with alcohol.

He read out a letter from Blossom which said: “I would never have done it if I had been sober. I really am a nice guy; I simply wasn’t myself.”

Mr Thiele-Long added that Blossom had expressed his apology for the incidents.

Jailing him, Recorder Julian Knowles QC said: “These incidents were shocking and frightening and, it hardly needs to be impressed, terribly upsetting for them to be awoken while being sexually assaulted is the stuff of nightmares.

“You pose a serious risk to young females.

“Those incidents are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate.”

Blossom, who was also ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register for 10 years and pay a £100 victim surcharge, was jailed for a total of two years.

He has already served the equivalent of eight months on remand, which will count towards his sentence.

Bethany Green, 21 of Roman Way, Bicester, was given a 12-month community order last month for handling stolen goods. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on July 24.