AN ex-amateur boxer who slapped three women’s bottoms in Blackburn town centre, and molested two others, has been sent to prison.

Alcoholic James Lee, 50, claimed it was a case of mistaken identity when he approached the first woman and slapped her hard on her backside outside Debenhams on June 16.

But after being released on bail he struck again, targeting a group of teenagers who had congregated by the memorial close to Blackburn Cathedral on June 30.

Handing Lee, of Oakenhurst Road, Blackburn, a sentence of 14 months behind bars, Recorder David Knifton said: “It is wrong to treat you like some sort of harmless, drunk, pest.”

Paul Cummings, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court Lee had approached the group of 17-19 year olds and started chatting, clearly drunk.

One of the youngsters, who can not be identified for legal reasons, said: “To start with his behaviour was almost comical, but it was also disturbing.”

Lee started grabbing the girls and asking then if they had boyfriends.

He told several of them he would like to “do them” - meaning he would like to have sex with them.

One girl was grabbed around the waist and groped, and two were slapped on the bottom while a fourth was groped.

When one of the boys in the group confronted Lee and told him to stop, Lee put him in a headlock.

He eventually left the group and walked away, shadow boxing with himself, across the street.

Sarah Magill, defending, told the court Lee had a difficult start in life and had started amateur boxing at the age of 13.

He turned professional aged 18 but by 27 had suffered so many head injuries he had to retire from the sport.

He now suffers epilepsy, which he manages poorly due to his alcoholism, and has learning difficulties.

He has been threatened by other prisoners while on remand and asked how he would feel if it was his children who had been molested, Miss Magill said.

Recorder Knifton, sentencing, said: “Your behaviour clearly had an effect on your victims.

“One says your behaviour was almost comical at first but was also disturbing. Another feels frightened.

“Another feels shaken and another says these events triggered pre-existing anxiety.

“All describe your behaviour as despicable.

“You are 50 years old and you have an entrenched pattern of alcohol abuse, learning difficulties, epilepsy, personality and behavioural disorders.

“You have a limited understanding of the seriousness of your actions but I now accept that has now been brought home to you in the most direct way by the way you are being treated by other inmates.”

He jailed Lee for 12 months for the attacks on the group of teens and two months consecutively for sexually assaulting the woman outside Debenhams.

He also handed him a one month sentence to run concurrently for assaulting the boy who tried to intervene and made Lee the subject of sex offenders notification requirements for 10 years.