A pervert who inappropriately rubbed a 22 year old woman on a London bus has managed to get off the hook with just a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work. The female was looking out of the window when she felt someone inappropriately rubbing against her. When she turned around, she saw Tharmalingam Sivagaran, 44, who apologised for his actions.
But soon, he began to touch her again and opened his legs wide, pushing her against the window. He then placed a finger on her inner thigh. The woman managed to escape by sliding past her attacker, with her back towards him, but felt a hand on her bottom, the Wood Green Crown Court heard. She then fled from the bus and called the police following the attack at 7 pm on March 28 last year.
After a three-day trial, Sivagaran from Harrow, was found guilty of sexual assault by touching. He was has been sentenced to a 12-month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also handed a bill for £750 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. “This is a despicable offence against a vulnerable young woman and I hope this sentence shows how seriously the police and courts take this crime. I would like to thank the victim for reporting the matter to police and for her courage in confronting her assailant and giving evidence during the trial.”
“Although the chances of being a victim or witnessing a crime on the network are low, we are working closely with our policing partners to eliminate this unacceptable behaviour. I hope this result shows offenders that London's public transport is a hostile environment for sex offenders, that they are not welcome, will be identified and will be brought to justice.”