A CONVICTED sex offender brazenly alleged his victim was “a complete liar” as he was caged for three years and nine months.

Steven Gardner had earlier admitted sexually assaulting the then 13-year-old boy at a party in Trowbridge last year.

The 43-year-old, who was jailed for 18 months in 2006 for sexually assaulting a woman, pleaded guilty to the sex assault charge on the day of his trial in August for attempted rape.

Prosecutor Ian Fenny told Swindon Crown Court Gardner had attended a party in Trowbridge in 2019.

His victim was also at the party with his mother. By 5am, the party had largely come to an end and most of the adults had gone to bed.

Gardner was said to have gone through to the kitchen and offered the boy a cigarette and cider. The youngster had pretended to drink some of the alcohol.

Back in the living room, Gardner had tried to kiss and cuddle the boy. Mr Fenny said the man “took advantage of the situation” and exposed himself to the child. The teenager managed to bend back his attacker’s finger and get free before claiming he needed to use the lavatory.

The boy alerted the party’s hostess to what had happened. Gardner was asked to leave the house and was still outside the front door when the police arrived.

He was interviewed later and denied wrongdoing.

In two victim statements – described as brave by the judge – the boy said he was sad but pleased it had happened to him and not a younger child who would not have known what to do.

“Steve knew what he was trying to do,” the boy said.

His mother said the investigation and prospect of giving evidence at the trial had increased her anxiety.

She wrote: “I’m so proud of my son. He has been so brave throughout.”

Defending, Clare Fear said her client had drunk a cocktail of spirits, cider and beer on the night of the party. He had previously abstained from alcohol but fell off the wagon at the party.

She said: “The defendant has clearly had a problem with recollection; in this case that’s affected the way that this case has been progressed.

“But the reason we are where we are is as a result of the abuse of alcohol.

“Previously to this incident he had gone for two months abstinent of alcohol, recognising through the probation intervention he was previously subject to and through his own experiences that alcohol was not a good idea and that he must give it up in its totality.

“Unfortunately, on this day he’s with friends, he’s with family, he’s lapsed back into that and drunk a cocktail of alcohol including spirits, cider and beer.”

As a result of the booze his “inhibitions and sense of responsibility and consideration for others” was lacking, the barrister said.

She said her client had abstained from drinking in prison and was determined to continue that when he was released from custody. While on remand since January he had undertaken business courses and other programmes aimed at making him more employable upon his release.

Gardner, of Summerleaze, Trowbridge, admitted sexual assault.

Sentencing Gardner for three years and nine months, Judge Peter Crabtree also imposed a lifetime restraining order banning him from contacting his victim or the boy’s mum.

A sexual harm prevention order prevents him from having unsupervised contact with under-16s unless their parents are aware of his conviction. And he must sign onto the sex offenders’ register for life.

The attempted rape charge was ordered to lie on Gardner’s file.

As the hearing finished Gardner shouted out that his victim was “a complete liar”.