A former theatre worker has been jailed after he was convicted of molesting a sleeping teenager at his Margate home.

John Pond’s victim told a court she still has nightmares of the attack and struggles to look at her own reflection.

Judge Catherine Brown today praised her bravery as she sentenced her attacker to one year in prison.

Father-of-two Pond, 41, of King Street, denied sex attacks on two girls - both aged over 16 - after climbing into bed with them following an evening drinking in the town.

But a jury last week found him guilty of groping one of them.

He was cleared of sexually assaulting the other teenager on the same night.

Prosecutor Nina Ellin told Canterbury Crown Court of the devastation Pond caused to his victim.

“She struggled to get out of bed or even look after herself - she doesn’t like to look in the mirror," she said.

“The assault has severely impacted her mental health.

“She would become extremely anxious on public transport; the fear would diminish as she went through therapy, but it still concerns her sometimes when she travels.”

The victim also suffered sleep disturbance, a distrust of others and was worried she would be attacked again, Miss Ellin added.

“She still has nightmares about the attack or that she is being attacked,” the barrister explained.

"It is very clear that this sexual assault by you has had a significant effect on her (the victim)..." — Judge Catherine Brown

Former Winter Gardens kitchen porter Pond claimed the “shy and quiet” teens fabricated the allegations, despite having no motive to do so.

A jury heard last week he and the girls returned to a flat in Margate in the small hours after a drink-fuelled night.

Cross-examining in front of a jury at Canterbury Crown Court, prosecutor Nina Ellin accused Pond of molesting both girls as they slept.

But the defendant would go on to say he only cuddled the teenagers and had not tried kissing one because he suffered a toothache and “wasn’t attracted to them”.

He claimed the girls influenced him to get inside the bed before making false allegations.

Mitigating, Paul Hogben explained Pond was of previous good character, in the midst of “a mental breakdown” at the time of the assault, and suffered clinical depression.

“It was a particularly bad year for Mr Pond; his mother passed away and also a long-term relationship came to an end," he said.

“He suffered what is known as colloquially as a mental breakdown."

Pond remained emotionless throughout the hearing. He was jailed for one year and handed a restraining order for five years, banning contact with both girls.

Judge Catherine Brown told Pond: “It is very clear that this sexual assault by you has had a significant effect on her (the victim).

“I bare in mind the difficulties you had in your relationship and the death of your mother.

“However, I’m satisfied this is so serious it warrants an immediate period in custody.

“I wish to pay tribute to both the women in this trial.

“I can only hope they can move on with their lives now this trial is over.”

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