A MAN who sexually assaulted a woman in an East Lothian street has been placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Andrzej Zajaczkowski approached the victim, who was unknown to him, and grabbed and squeezed her breast in an unprovoked attack at Hawthorn Road in Prestonpans last April.

The “unpleasant and disgraceful” assault was reported to the police and the 64-year-old Polish national was later traced by officers.

Zajaczkowski pleaded guilty to the sex assault on the woman, who cannot be identified due to legal reasons, when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in November last year.

READ MORE: Andrzej Zajaczkowski admits sexually assaulting woman

Sentence was deferred for reports to December but, when the case called, Sheriff Kevin McCarron was told that Zajaczkowski had failed to attend the social work appointment.

The sheriff agreed to defer sentence for a second time and Zajaczkowski, of Lorne Way, Longniddry, was finally back in the dock for sentencing on Friday.

Lawyer James McMackin told the court that his client acknowledged he had committed an “unpleasant and disgraceful” assault but had since expressed “remorse and shock at his behaviour”.

Mr McMackin said the report was “a positive one” and added that the threat of custody had been “playing heavily” on his client’s mind.

'I will give you an opportunity'

Sheriff McCarron said: “Your conduct was such, and your behaviour, that a custodial sentence is merited.

"But in the circumstances I will give you an opportunity as an alternative.

“But that is on the strict understanding that, if you fail to comply with the sentence or get into any more trouble, whatever it is, a custodial sentence will be imposed.”

Zajaczkowski was sentenced to a restriction of liberty order which will see him have to wear an electronic tagging device and stay within his home between 8pm and 7am each night for the next four months.

He was also placed under the supervision of the social work department for 12 months and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Zajaczkowski pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman by touching and squeezing her breast over her clothing during an incident at Hawthorn Road, Prestonpans, on April 21 last year.