A drunken sex pest who groped women in Sutton town centre was spared jail today when he appeared in court on his birthday.

Tobiasz Piasecki, of Bishopsford Road, Morden, groped two women and attempted to sexually assault a third in Sutton town centre on October 10.

But, appearing in court today - his 28th birthday - he expressed a "heartfelt apology" and promised never to do anything like this again.

Magistrates opted to spare Piasecki jail but did order him to do 160 hours of unpaid work and fined him £145.

A woman was shopping with her mother and was waiting for her outside a shop in the High Street when she felt a hand run softly down her back and caress her bottom, prosecutor Lily Riza told Croydon Magistrates' Court.

The victim turned around to see Piasecki standing there with a can of beer in his hand. He lent close to her and said something but she could not make it out. She contacted police who were nearby and they warned Mr Piasecki about his behaviour.

But 20 minutes later Piasecki assaulted another woman and tried to touch her friend in Oakhill Road.

Miss Riza said: "[The second victim] was walking when she felt a hand go up her skirt and grab her left leg. She looked down and saw Mr Piasecki lying on the ground.

"She asked what he was doing at which point he stood up and grabbed his groin. [The woman] approached her friend who said Mr Piasecki approached her and attempted to grab her but she backed away from him and, as she did, he that he wanted to f*** her, grabbed his groin and pulled down his zip to open the top of his trousers."

One of the women's sons, an off-duty police officer, arrived and detained Mr Piasecki until other officers arrived and arrested him.

When interviewed he told police he could only remember bits of the day's events as he had been drinking and was on painkillers following an operation on his face.

He admitted two counts of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault.

Speaking through a Polish translator in court, he apologised for what he did and added: "Nothing of the like will take place in future."