A homeless Italian who sexually assaulted a woman in a town centre attack has walked free from court.

Antonio Zavettieri was caught on camera as he groped the young woman in Wharf Green after sidling up to her and making lewd comments.

Zavettieri, 51, had pleaded not guilty to the allegation but after watching the footage and hearing the victim give evidence he changed his plea.

Ruling that what he had done was not the worst of its kind a judge imposed a community order and told him to pay £350 compensation.

Homeless Zavettieri initially denied sexually assaulting the woman on June 21, 2015, when the case appeared at Swindon Crown Court, before pleading guilty.

George Threlfall, prosecuting, said he was born in Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy, and has three alcohol related previous convictions including drunk and disorderly.

He was also found with a knife in an incident outside the Culvery Court homeless hostel in Harding Street last summer.

Adam Norris, defending, said his client had lived in a room on Manchester Road and had a job at the Honda recycling plant.

But he said he lost the position and his room, is currently living rough and eating at the Breakfast Club, which is a form of soup kitchen.

He said that he is looking for work and is hopeful he will get something as he is a qualified forklift truck driver.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "On June 21 last year you pestered a young woman in the centre of Swindon during the daytime.

"It was all recorded on CCTV and I remember it clearly from the trial. This was a sustained incident and it got worse than pestering as it got indecent.

"You were sexually motivated in making the disgusting comments you made to that young woman. Then it got physical and she had to get rid of you in the way she did.

"It was distressing for her as she had experience of similar incidents some time previously and you were drunk at the time.

"I accept this happened in a difficult time in your life but that is no excuse for what you did."

He imposed an 18-month community order with 25 days of rehabilitation activity requirement and told him to pay £350 compensation.

The judge said the amount he awarded was not intended to reflect the harm caused by what he did but was a gesture.