An “extremely” drunk man took a swig of whisky and placed the bottle back on a supermarket shelf before stroking a woman's buttocks as he left the store, a court has heard.
Sebastian Rosiak, 41, told police that his head was "completely switched off" after he was later found slumped on a pavement in Welshpool town centre.
He was given an 18-month community order and must remain on the sex offenders register for the next five years after he pleaded guilty to sexual assault and criminal damage when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court on April 25.
Helen Tench, prosecuting, told the court that a shopper told one of the supermarket workers that they had seen a man drink from a bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky.
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The staff member then went over to the aisle to find an opened bottle that had been placed back on the shelf.
"He saw a male walk to the exit and without warning he stroked the buttocks of a female colleague," Mrs Tench said. "She described it as unnerving, felt frozen and stood there.
"A colleague saw the victim look completely shell-shocked saying 'I've just been felt up'."
Mrs Tench added that the victim was left "very distressed” and crying after she was sexually assaulted by Rosiak which was caught on CCTV.
Rosiak was arrested after he was found by police slumped on the pavement in Church Street. He told officers: "I don't remember much as I had too much to drink. My head was completely switched off and I lost control quickly."
The victim told the court in a statement read by the prosecutor that the incident by a man much older than her made her feel "horrible" and "really anxious".
"I hope he is banned from the store as I do not wish to see him again," she added.
Simon Sargent, mitigating for Rosiak, said the incident was "out of character".
"He realises and acknowledges that his actions are totally unacceptable and inappropriate, and I think it is fair to say he is shocked by what he did and he’s both remorseful and apologetic to the complainant.
"Mr Rosiak told me that he was having a difficult time and he had been drinking alcohol for two days which was unusual for him, but he acknowledges he was extremely intoxicated and it does explain why he has no recollection.
"The incident itself is extremely brief, probably no more than a second and it was a single touch over clothing.
"This is very out of character for him. He has one unrelated conviction and again it does involve alcohol in 2017 for being drunk and disorderly."
Magistrates decided that the offences were serious enough to make a community order for 18 months which included 20 rehabilitation requirement days and 80 hours of unpaid work.
Rosiak, of Berriew Street, Welshpool, must also wear an alcohol tag for 90 days, and award the victim £150 compensation.
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