A man who was under arrest when he squeezed a policewoman's breast in the back seat of a patrol car has had his two-year jail term halved.

Aaron Edlin, 40, of Farncombe Road, Worthing, was jailed on March 26 after pleading guilty at Chichester Crown Court to indecent assault.

But London's Criminal Appeal Court ruled two years was "manifestly excessive" and cut his sentence to 12 months.

Mr Justice Poole, sitting with Mr Justice Gage, noted his guilty plea and the absence of previous indecency offences.

The court heard that on July 1 last year, police were called to a Worthing address after a report of a dispute between Edlin and his stepfather.

Edlin, who was clearly drunk and had blood around his face and body, was outside the house.

He told police he had been drinking with his mother and stepfather when an argument developed.

He said his stepfather had struck his mother, leading him to strike his stepfather.

Police made inquiries and Edlin was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Officers then decided he should be taken to hospital because of his injuries and he sat in the back of the police car with a female constable when the assault occurred.

In arguing for a sentence cut, his lawyers said two years was the length of sentence given in indecent assault cases carried out on a lone woman at night, often with violence being threatened or actually occurring.

Edlin's assault had not persisted and he had not manipulated a situation in order to carry it out.