A bus driver has been jailed for 20 months for sexually abusing a vulnerable and troubled 14-year-old girl.

Mark Standhaven, 34, left the teenager feeling suicidal after twice molesting her on the same day, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Judge David Hatton QC told Standhaven, formerly of Buttershaw Drive, Buttershaw, Bradford, but held in custody after his arrest, there was a 20-year age gap between him and his victim.

“You now finally have accepted that this activity was entirely your doing and you do not seek to blame anyone else,” the judge said.

Standhaven pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two offences of sexual activity with the girl.

Prosecutor Andrew Kershaw told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Standhaven first cuddled the girl and then abused her.

Afterwards, he took painkillers and rang the police to confess his guilt.

Mr Kershaw said a significant degree of psychological harm was caused to “a vulnerable and troubled adolescent girl”.

Standhaven worked as a bus driver before his arrest and Mr Kershaw told the court: “I have seen some background information about inappropriate behaviour to girls on the bus.”

In mitigation, Ash Mahmood said that Standhaven admitted the offences and accepted they were entirely his fault. “He wishes to apologise profoundly and cannot explain why this happened,” Mr Mahmood said.

The defendant was unaware of any issues arising relating to his job and hoped to resume work when he could.

Judge Hatton said Standhaven had no previous convictions for any similar matters and none at all for any offences in the recent past.

He himself had called the police but the alarm would have been raised in any event by the girl and her family.

Standhaven was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register, to notify the police of his whereabouts for ten years.

Judge Hatton made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order prohibiting him from getting in touch with the girl in the future.

He must not have any unsupervised contact with any children or invite them round to his home.