A MAN aged 22 who had sex with a schoolgirl while drunk has avoided going to escaped jail -- even though a judge told him what he had done was not allowed.

Martin Corbett was found guilty by a Burnley Crown Court jury of unlawful sexual intercourse, after a three day trial.

The defendant, of Vicarage Road, Barnoldswick, had denied the charge. He told the jury he had thought the 14 year old girl was 16.

Corbett was given a 12 months conditional discharge by Judge Raymond Bennett, who told him that although he had been in "quite a bit of trouble," he had not done anything like this before.

He said the offence was a one-off and not a course of conduct towards the girl, as in many such cases. The judge said that although the complainant had told the jury she had felt ready for sex, sex with girls under 16 was not allowed, even if they made it easy.

He added: "Think before you drink so much next time."

The jury had been told how Corbett had sex with the girl, even though her father had told him she was not 16.

The defendant had been warned by the father to stay away from his daughter, but had visited her at school.

The girl's father asked her if she had had sex with Corbett. She at first denied it and then said she had.

When the defendant was interviewed by police, he said he and the girl had had sex when he was drunk. He claimed he believed she had been 16.