A MAN kissed his probation officer at the end of an interview at the Blackburn office.

The town’s magistrates heard Paul Creasey tried to kiss his officer on the lips but she managed to turn away and he kissed her on the neck.

Creasey, 41, of Skye Crescent, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a female.

He was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months with a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He was made subject to a prohibited activity requirement which bans him from entering Blackburn Probation office or its car park and made subject to sex offender notification requirements for seven years.

Deputy District Judge Jayne Bryan said Creasey had tried to shrug off the offence as something and nothing.

“The impact of your behaviour on that lady has been immense and understandable,” said Deputy District Judge Bryan.

“You will be supervised by a male probation officer for clear reasons and that will be at Accrington and not Blackburn.”

Calum Kinghorn, prosecuting, said Creasey had been attending the Blackburn office to see his officer.

“He didn’t appear to be under the influence and his behaviour was no more erratic than normal,” said Mr Kinghorn.

“As the interview ended he leaned over and tried to kiss his officer on the lips. She turned her head and he kissed her on the neck and put his arm around her.”

In a victim personal statement the officer said the incident had left her shocked and feeling violated. She said she saw him in a shop in Blackburn a few days later and he acted as if nothing had happened and said hello.

“I had to leave the store without my shopping because of the way I felt,” she said.

Gareth Price, defending, said there had been no malice involved and his client had not been trying to upset the officer.

“This was towards the end of 12 months supervision by the same officer and there had been no other problems,” said Mr Price.

“In a very misjudged way he tried to end the interview in the way that he did. It was not pre-planned and appears to have been on the spur of the moment.”