A seven-and-a-half year jail sentence has been handed down to a man who abused a young girl as he visited a house in Carlisle.

Without the knowledge of the householder, Daniel Marinescu, 28, went into a bedroom where the girl was playing with a younger boy and began touching her sexually.

At Carlisle Crown Court, the defendant, who has no fixed abode, admitted two sexual assaults of the primary school age child.

The pervert carried out the assaults on April 6 during a visit to the house.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting, outlined how the defendant - who claimed he had been drunk at the time - turned off the light before he began touching the girl.

At one point, he pushed her to the floor as he carried out the attack and she tried to get away from him, said Mr Burke.0

When it was over, the girl immediately told her mother what happened, and she called both the police and the NSPCC.

At first, Marinescu claimed what happened had been accidental touching as he played with the girl but he later admitted his guilt.

The court heard victim impact statements from the girl's parents, who described how she was now prone to bursting into tears.

Of the effect on the girl's father, Mr Burke said: "He is a man who has never cried in the past at moments of emotion - sadness, and celebration.

"But he has cried many times since since this incident. It has had a grave effect on him and the girl's mother has never seen him like this before.

The child, said the barrister, was now scared of loud noises and often tearful.

Kim Whittlestone, for Marinescu, said he was determined to work with the authorities to address why he had acted as he did.

The barrister said the defendant wished to apologise for what he had done.

"He offers his apology, and he regrets this offence whole-heartedly," she added.

Passing sentence, Judge Peter Davies told the defendant: "What you did to her has had a substantial impact on her; we actually don't know how much of an impact because she is still very little."

The judge added that the child's parents should not blame themselves. Again addressing the defendant, he said: "You are to blame."

As well as the jail term, the judge imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, barred the defendant from ever working with children or vulnerable adults; and ordered that Marinescu's name should be on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

Marinescu, who had no previous offences, showed no emotion as he was led from the dock to start his sentence.