A MAN who had sex with an underage girl was spared a sentence of up to 14 years in jail after the court heard the act was consensual and he was mentally ill.
Glen Carter, 25, of Aspen lane, Northolt, was handed a supervision order after admitting three charges of sexual activity with a child between December and April.
Prosecutor Jessica Cook told Isleworth Crown Court the 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not wish to assist police following the arrest of her lover, Glen Carter, in June.
She said: "Eventually she did return home and gave an account of her relationship with the defendant.
"The only dispute in the case is whether the defendant, on one occasion pulled her hair, pushed her and became obsessive within the relationship."
Ms Cook agreed the girl was "a troubled young lady."
Carter's counsel Sarah Ellis, said he had lost three stone in weight while spending four months in prison on remand. He suffered from psychiatric problems and was asthmatic.
She said: "This young lady presented as rather older than she was and the sexual intercourse only occurred when she was comfortable with it. It was entirely consensual and there was no violence of any kind."
Pointing out that Carter told the girl he was 18 when they met, Judge Sam Katkhuda went through all the sentencing options and said: "The law is there to protect young girls from themselves and when somebody of 25 has a sexual relationship with a girl who is under age, the law says the maximum sentence is 14 years. Even where there is consent, the sentence should begin at four years in custody."
But after considering reports and that Carter had spent so long on remand, the judge made a community order for three years, including supervision and attendance on sex offender programmes.
Carter must sign on to the sex offenders' register for the next five years.
