yesterday after pleading guilty to assaulting a young mother as she slept in her home.

Edward Eugene Cumberbatch who, the Supreme Court heard, functions at the level of a seven-year-old, apologised for his actions.

The 28-year-old woman awoke around 1.20 a.m. on February 17 and found Cumberbatch standing over her bed. As she sat up he grabbed her wrist and held her arms to the bed and told her to relax and not fight.

She screamed and tried to pull away but he held her arms and straddled her, kissing her about the face. He then fondled her breasts and reached down inside her underpants, the court heard.

The woman's two sons aged eight and two were sleeping in a nearby room. They woke at the sound of their mother struggling.

After the woman managed to switch on the bedroom light, Cumberbatch jumped from the bed and fled.

Cumberbatch, who was employed as a butcher at Lindo's market, attended the Devon Lane School. His lawyer Mr. Ed Bailey said that his client was extremely remorseful for what he had done.

"He was very remorseful,'' Mr Bailey said." He was ashamed to face his family.'' Mr. Bailey, referring to a social inquiry report ordered on the defendant, said that alcohol was a strong factor in the offence.

"I know the woman suffered great stress,'' he said." But my client was in the midst of a drunken stupor. None of this would have happened without the influence of the alcohol.'' Mr. Bailey asked Chief Justice Mr. Justice Ward to take into account Cumberbatch's young age, his clean record and his uncharacteristic behaviour when passing sentence.

Crown Counsel Mr. Stephen Harrison asked the court to impose a stiff sentence in light of the increasing assaults against women.

"This is a serious assault,'' Mr. Harrison said. "I recognise that he suffers from intellectual and mental limitations, but I ask that you impose a sentence that will deter not only this individual but all other individuals who are similarly situated.'' Chief Justice Mr. Justice Ward took three hours to consider the sentence. "I have taken your guilty plea, your cooperation with Police, the remorse shown and your personal limitations into consideration,'' he said. "The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years. There are strong mitigating factors but there are no strong exceptional circumstances. I therefore sentence you to a period of imprisonment of 30 months.''