A 22-year-old man was jailed for four years for subjecting a woman to a humiliating and distressing sexual encounter at a railway station.

Cameron Connelly alarmed the woman by directing sexual remarks at her at Irvine railway station on September 6, 2016.

Connelly, who is in Edinburgh prison, was cleared of a further charge of raping another woman on the same day in Kirkintilloch.

Connelly, who has previous convictions for making sexually offensive remarks to women, was branded a danger to the public by judge Lady Stacey.

She ordered that he should be monitored in the community for three years after his release.

Lady Stacey told Connelly: “The social worker who compiled the background report on you says she thinks you present a danger to the public and I agree with her.

“Approaching that woman at the train station was wrong and it was frightening for her. You have committed similar offences and on that occasion were given a community payback order.

“It is up to you to take what help can be offered.”

Lady Stacey added: “I accept that the offence you were convicted of was one you were prepared to plead guilty to and you were acquitted of the rape charge. However, in my view the only sentence that can be imposed here is a custodial one.”

Defence counsel Allan Macleod said: “Mr Connelly accepts responsibility for his actions. This is a man who for some time has been extremely stressed. He is not coping well in prison.

“The social worker who questioned him said he appreared detached from the situation, but he was always prepared to plead guilty to the charge he was convicted of.”