A STUDENT who sexually assaulted a woman had been suffering from a mental health illness, a court heard.

Runyao Zhang burst into the woman’s room at a Southampton flat and forced himself on her.

However Southampton Crown Court was told he had been hearing voices in the weeks leading up to the attack.

Zhang showed no emotion as a judge jailed him for eight months for sexual assault.

He barely turned to acknowledge his weeping mother who had flown all the way from China to be in the public gallery.

Zhang, 24, of no fixed address, admitted the charge.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Zhang barged into the woman’s room on the evening of June 8.

Prosecutor Tom Wright said: “He put his arms around her and grabbed her and she told him to get out.

“He was trying to force his head towards her and they fell on the bed and there was a struggle between them.”

The terrified woman managed to free herself and call for help. Police arrived within minutes and arrested Zhang.

In interview Zhang told police he entered her room with the intention of inappropriately approaching her, but also said he was “hearing voices from Allah”.

Officers were concerned about his state of mind after observing “troubled behaviour”

which included him staring into space for a five-hour period while alone in his cell.

The court heard how Zhang had previously tried to kiss another woman before the attack.

In mitigation Russel Pyne, for Zhang, said his client had developed a psychotic illness soon after arriving in Britain a few months before the incident.

Mr Pyne said: “He feels deep shame for what he did. He appears to be a highly intelligent young man, far from home doing a degree in complex matters and under considerable mental stress.”

He pointed to Zhang’s mother who has visited this country to try and bring him back to China to receive psychiatric help.

Judge Gary Burrell acknowledged Zhang’s illness and his guilty plea, reducing his sentence from a maximum of four years to eight months.

Turning to the student, who has already spent four months, in custody, he said: “You really badly frightened that girl, going in without warning and trying to attack her. She was understandably frightened and shocked and is still very anxious and scared.”