Drunken Dominic Ashwood subjected his helpless victim to a horrific attack as she lay on the ground outside Clyde Shopping Centre.

It followed a night out with his pals in the town last July.

The 20-year-old pounced on the woman after she was knocked out cold as she attempted to flee following an incident at Reds snooker club in the early hours of the morning.

Ashwood’s assault was briefly interrupted by a passing cyclist, but then continued after he callously pretended to help the woman and the man peddled away.

Last week he appeared in the dock at Dumbarton Sheriff and was told a jail sentence was inevitable.

Sheriff Simon Fraser said: “The fact that you were under the influence of alcohol at the time is no excuse at all.

“This was a serious and relatively prolonged offence. Viewing the video took six minutes, albeit the actual offence didn’t last quite that long.

“You took advantage of a young girl who had had far too much to drink, as had you, and who unfortunately had been knocked unconscious by running into a door.

“The assault you carried out was interrupted by the arrival of another member of the public.

“One might have thought that might be the end of the matter but no. After he left you resumed your activities.” Judith Reid, defending, said there was little which could be said in mitigation regarding the offence but insisted Ashwood’s actions had been “completely out of character” and caused by drink.

She added: “He position is he has no memory of matters really until police arrive on the scene and then he starts to have a vague memory of what starts to happen.

“When I tried to show him the CCTV he was very distressed and has been very distressed in my dealings with him.” Sheriff Simon Fraser said only a custodial sentence would adequately reflect the gravity of the offence and sentenced Ashwood to a period of 16 months detention and placed him on the sex offenders register.