TWO men have been jailed following a “truly horrendous incident” when a woman was sexually assaulted by a drunken stranger in a shop.

Her husband was physically assaulted by two men when he turned up at the premises.

The woman had remonstrated with the two for their lewd behaviour in the shop involving her daughter but ended up being sexually assaulted by one of them herself.

Defendant Vaughan Alan Johnson, 34, turned to her and grabbed her breasts over her clothing, causing great distress.

She called her husband who turned up outside the shop in his car and was assaulted by both Johnson and co-defendant Jamie Worrall.

Johnson, of Crossfield Road in Greenfield, who admitted a sex assault on the woman and a common assault on her husband was jailed for six months.

He was ordered to pay £100 compensation to each victim.

Johnson must register with the police as a sex offender for seven years.

Worrall, 28, of Aber Las, Flint, who admitted common assault upon the man, was jailed for five months and was ordered to pay £100 compensation.

Deputy District Judge Timothy Gasgoyne told Johnson that it was a truly horrendous incident.

He dismissed claims that it was some sort of drunken prank.

The mother had gone into the shop to protect her adult daughter – which he said was what mothers did.

But Johnson had had in public view humiliated her, made comments about her and indecently assaulted her.

Both were then involved in an assault upon her husband who had been kicked and punched while on the ground.

The judge said that Johnson’s case would have been sent to the crown court for sentence but for the fact that his “hands had been tied” by an earlier bench of magistrates.

Prosecutor Jim Neary told Flintshire Magistrates’ Court at Mold that on August 15 last year the complainant, who he described as a mature lady, was outside a shop in Greenfield near Holywell when her daughter beckoned her to come in.

The defendants, he said, were in the shop “behaving in a crass and lewd manner.”

It was alleged that the daughter’s hair had been ruffled, that sexual gestures made and the lady challenged them about their behavior.

Simon Simmons, defending, said that they were both extremely drunk, falling about and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Johnson was “extremely drunk” after the drinking binge when he had consumed cocaine as well.

It was accepted that he lunged forward and touched the lady’s breasts three times in quick succession.

He did not regard himself as a sex offender but his actions would, depending on the sentence, put him on the sex register.

“He is shamed of his behavior,” said Mr Simmons.

The assault on her husband took place after the car mounted the pavement.

Worrall had been on remand in custody since and had work to go to as a painter and decorator.

Johnson had been on bail and had not touched alcohol since Christmas – and was now living back home with his mother. He had a job fitting roof panels.

The court heard that allegations against a third man said to have been involved in the attack on the husband had been dropped when Johnson and Worrall pleaded guilty.