A DRUNK roofer groped three women during a celebration in a pub.

Christopher Ayre sexually assaulted the trio by grabbing their bottoms and breasts before attacking a man who tried to calm him down and de-escalate the situation.

Ayre, 38, was given a 10 week jail term suspended for a year and ordered to shell out more than £1,600 in compensation and court costs.

Prosecutor Chris Bittlestone said the three young women were enjoying a night out at The Ship Inn in Chudleigh in July last year when drunken Ayre made ‘salacious and sexual comments’ to them before he groped their backsides and breasts.

Father-of-four Ayre, denied sexually assaulting the women but was convicted after a trial. He admitted assaulting Phillip Hutchings outside the pub after he tried to calm Ayre down. 

Defence lawyer Rob Jacobs said Ayre behaved appallingly that night saying: ‘He is mortified. He has damaged his reputation, probably beyond repair.’

Newton Abbot magistrates court heard he earns up to £1,000 a week running his own business employing staff.

District Judge Stuart Smith said Ayre, who admitted downing more than seven pints that night, was clearly intoxicated when he behaved in an appalling way. 

The judge said Ayre told one victim he wanted to ‘ram a baby into you’ and ‘**** your brains out’ before he touched the breast of the third victim and tried to bite her neck before they ended up scuffling.

He was jailed for a total of 10 weeks, suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ register for seven years. 

He was also ordered to pay the three women £200 compensation each and £100 to Mr Hutchings who suffered cuts in the fracas, plus court costs of £924.