A NOTORIOUS sex pest known as Special Brew Sid boarded a Christmas Eve train with his trousers round his ankles before trying to kiss a terrified young woman.

Adam Richards, 48, who earned the nickname over years of offending, was already very drunk when he caught the early morning service.

Magistrates in Brighton jailed him for 26 weeks telling him he should use the time to reflect on his crimes.

Train staff told him to pull his trousers up before allowing him to board the 7.20 Lewes to Brighton train on December 24 last year.

He sat down across from the woman and touched her on the thigh before following her through the carriages on the 15 minute journey.

As the train pulled into Brighton he waited behind her at the doors before lunging forward in an attempt to kiss her.

Richards, who has 52 previous convictions for 90 offences, admitted he had been drinking for at least two hours before boarding the train.

He denied sexual touching and attempted sexual touching, saying he was only being friendly when he sat down opposite the young woman and started trying to talk to her.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, gave evidence from behind screen to shield her from Richards.

She told magistrates in Brighton: “He came to sit right in front of me and he was asking me loads of questions.

“He went to touch my leg, my thigh. He just touched it.”

The young woman demonstrated for magistrates where Richards put his hand before she brushed him off and moved away.

Richards followed her and the young woman said: “He just kept shouting stuff like ‘I want you’."

“He started shouting that he wants me. He was about three rows in front of me.”

The young woman broke down and said: “I was shocked. I felt sick.

“When the train was approaching the station, I got up quickly to try and avoid him. He was breathing on me and nearly kissed my neck. He was stood right next to me, heavy breathing. I said ‘get off’.”

The court was shown CCTV from inside the train carriage which showed Richards sitting down next to the young woman and later lunging toward her neck as they waited to get off the train.

The woman reported the assault as soon as she got to Brighton.

“I went to the train inspector and told her.

“I said he’s touched me.”

The incident left the young woman traumatised, she said.

“I haven’t even been on a train since. I’ve got anxiety, I don’t want to go on one."

“I did before but this has made it ten times worse,” she said.

Richards admitted being very drunk before getting on the train and the court heard he had been prescribed anti-psychotic drugs after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

He admitted having very little memory of the train journey.

During cross examination by Suzanne Soros, Richards said: “I just wanted to talk.

“I was mainly waiting to get off the train.

“That was the nearest exit.”

He said he was having trouble with his belt before getting on the train.

“The trousers slipped down, that’s all it was,” he said.

At a sentencing hearing in Brighton, Magistrate John Standbrige told him: “We find the offences are so serious, only a custodial sentence would be appropriate.

“You may want to reflect on the impact your behaviour has had on your victim.

“It was profound and that is why you are being sent to prison.”

Richards was sentenced to a total of 26 weeks for sexual touching and attempted sexual touching.

He will have to report to police as part of the sexual offenders register for five years.

He is also subject to a restraining order until September 14, 2021 to stay away from his victim.

Asked if he understood the sentence, Richards said: “Yeah.”

Richards, of St Pancras Road, Lewes, earned the name Special Brew Sid in 2000 when he was banned from intimidating, harassing, touching or insulting women.

The name came from his taste for extra strong lager.