A holiday park worker barged into a caravan before sexually assaulting two women. Joseph Bretherton, formally of Marsh Road in Rhuddlan, was found guilty after trial of sexually assaulting two women at the Sun Valley Caravan Park, where he worked.

Prosecutor Richard Edwards told Caernarfon Crown Court that the 59-year-old had barged into the caravan where the two women were staying. The court heard the women encountered the defendant during an evening, and he was acting "a little bit flirty".

The women returned to their caravan, and stayed up until around 1am having more drinks, but were then started to see the defendant looking through the blinds after they heard a "heavy knock". One of the victims opened the door, before the defendant "barged his way into the caravan" and he told the visitors that there had been noise complaints about them.

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As one of the women turned around, Bretherton "grabbed her bottom so hard she felt his fingers digging into her". She described being in complete shock as the defendant continued to make the women feel uncomfortable, making comments about them not wearing bras and touching the other victim's breast over her pyjama top.

One of the women took a photo of the defendant on her phone and, upon realising, he started yelling at her to delete it because "he was married". He eventually left the caravan.

The matter was reported to the police once the women returned home and Bretherton was arrested and interviewed. He told police there had "been some banter" between them that evening and he noticed the women had "carried on partying" during his site walkaround that night.

He claimed that he had asked them to keep the noise down and insisted that he took "no more than a few steps into the caravan" before leaving, denying that any inappropriate action took place. Both victims made statements before the court following the trial.

Judge Nicola Saffman told the women that they should not feel like victims as they were "strong and decent" women who shouldn't let the actions of one man "ruin and define" their lives. One woman said: "I feel scared when I am home alone and no longer like to go out in the evening without he support of my husband.

"At times, when I hear a sudden loud noises, it brings me right back to when the knock was made on the caravan door which terrifies me. This man is a sexual predator. He believed he was at liberty to sexually assault my friend and I.

"I feel both degraded and insulted by his actions and remain in total shock at his lack of remorse. Even thought the [guilty verdict] was what we wanted, it hasn't made dealing with this any easier. I am not sure when I am going to wake up and not think about this incident."

The second woman said: "Since the incident took place, my friends and I have not been away together as a group of women. I now only feel safe if my husband is with me when we go away for the weekend.

"I feel violated, angry and disgusted that somebody could act this way. The offender, prior to entering the caravan, banged on the door loudly and this still feels vivid to this day. Loud knocks on the door make me jump, and bring back memories of that night.

"The thought of having to attend court made me anxious and kept me awake at night leading up to the case. I found the court case itself the most stressful situation I have ever been in, being cross examined was very traumatic despite being the innocent victim.

"I do believe over time I can put this behind me. But, in the immediate aftermath of this court case, I am struggling to feel normal again."

Defending, Brendan Carville, said his client has lost everything following the conviction including his job at the caravan park and the accommodation that came with it. Mr Carville said that the former holiday park worker "hasn't put a foot wrong" until these crimes, and said he was an otherwise "hard-working" man who strived to provide for his family.

The judge accepted that there was little a prison term could achieve and opted to suspend his two-year sentence to provide "better protection" to the wider community in the future. She added that the decision did not lessen the "significant impact" his actions had on the "dignified" women.

She said: "If I were to send you to prison you'd be out in less than a year and there would be no change to your clearly skewed thinking to women and how you should treat them. This sentence is one which is clearly aimed at both punishing you and addressing your sexually demeaning behaviour towards women which, by the age of 59, frankly is something which should have been resolved far sooner in your life."

The defendant was ordered to complete a 45-day rehabilitation programme as well as complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He will pay £1,000 in court costs and be listed as a sex offender for the next decade.

Bretherton was able to remain in his maintenance role and stay living at the caravan park after being charged with the offences but has since been let go from the business. Ahead of the sentencing, a spokesperson for Sun Valley Caravan Park said: "The company has taken legal advice and the appropriate steps throughout this process.

"We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff, owners and guests seriously."