A UK man has been handed a 12-month community order after becoming the first person convicted in a British Transport Police prosecution under new legislation targeting harassment motivated by a person’s sex.David Stroud, 44, of Dartford, admitted the offence at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court after an incident on a train travelling from Hastings to London, BBC reported.The case marks the first criminal sentencing in England and Wales under legislation that criminalises intentional harassment directed at a person because of their sex in public places. Stroud was arrested two days after the law came into force on April 1.Prosecutors said Stroud approached a woman who was speaking to her boyfriend on the train and sat beside her. During the journey, he repeatedly leaned towards her, called her “magical” and grabbed her hair before asking, “Can I kiss you?”The woman rejected the advance, replying, “Absolutely not,” and told him to stop, but he continued interacting with her, the court heard.In a victim impact statement read during sentencing, the woman said the encounter left her feeling “trapped, powerless and petrified.”She told the court: “I always feel the need to have company when I leave the house now. I can never truly go anywhere on my own, simply because I’m a woman.”The woman, who described herself as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, said the experience left her “paralysed with fear” and changed the way she approached everyday activities.The court also heard that Stroud appeared to have been drinking at the time of the incident. The victim said his breath smelt of alcohol and added that she felt intimidated by his behaviour.In her statement, she said: “Imagine as a young woman of small stature when a large, drunk man tries to sit on top of you. I was an unwilling recipient of this kind of contact towards me.”The woman’s boyfriend alerted British Transport Police after hearing the exchange over the phone. Officers later arrested Stroud at London Bridge railway station.Stroud had previously admitted to a separate 22-month stalking campaign and was on bail for stalking when the train incident took place.He was sentenced for both offences on Tuesday. Magistrates ordered him to complete a 15-day rehabilitation programme, carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and comply with a 12-month community order.Speaking before the hearing, the victim said some people might dismiss Stroud’s conduct as drunken behaviour or “banter”, but said the outcome showed the importance of reporting such incidents.“This justice proves it’s worth reporting to the police,” she said. “Nothing is going to change if these crimes are not reported and go unpunished.”The offence falls under provisions of the Public Order Act 1986 covering harassment motivated by a person’s sex, including incidents targeting women and girls in public spaces such as streets, parks and public transport.
