London/Colombo, Sep 15 (IANS): The UK has jailed a Sri Lankan asylum seeker for 30 months over a sex attack carried out three years after he was saved from deportation in 2011.

Sivarajah Suganthan, 31, was allowed to remain in the UK after a 2011 campaign headed by Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West Stephen Williams, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday night.

After an 800-signature petition was presented to Parliament calling for a halt to the deportation process, Suganthan - nicknamed Siva - moved in with friends in Bristol.

But in 2014, the father-of-two "preyed" on a 21 year-old who had rejected his advances at a night shelter.

Bristol Crown Court heard that she woke at 3 a.m. to find her knickers pulled down and Suganthan forcing a sex act on her.

DNA at the scene of the assault in February 2014 proved it was him and Suganthan, who has a previous conviction for shoplifting, was arrested shortly afterwards, the Daily Mail reported.

After initially pleading not guilty, he confessed to the crime on the day of his trial - but still maintains he "doesn't remember doing it", the court heard.