A United Kingdom court has sentenced a Nigerian, Daniel Odubanjo, to six years’ imprisonment for sexually assaulting a woman during a train journey.
The British Transport Police secured the conviction after Odubanjo was found guilty of offences including false imprisonment and sexual assault by the Chelmsford Crown Court on January 12.
It was learnt on Tuesday from a statement published on the BTP website that the conviction followed a report by a young woman who said she was assaulted while using a toilet on a train.
According to the statement, the incident occurred on November 29, 2024, when the victim heard a knock on the toilet door and assumed another passenger was waiting.
However, upon opening the door, she was confronted by Odubanjo, who allegedly forced her back into the cubicle and assaulted her.
The police said the victim, who was 21 at the time, struggled and attempted to attract help from other passengers before she was eventually released and reported the incident to railway staff after disembarking at Chelmsford.
Investigators also disclosed that shortly after the first incident, Odubanjo allegedly approached another teenage passenger, engaged her in inappropriate conversation and later sexually assaulted her before a fellow passenger intervened.
British Transport Police officers subsequently arrested Odubanjo when the train stopped at Hatfield Peverel station.
Following investigations and trial, Odubanjo, 27, of King Avenue, Clapham, was convicted of one count of false imprisonment and two counts of sexual assault.
In addition to the six-year prison term, the court ordered him to pay a victim surcharge and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his conduct on public transport and railway premises.
The BTP said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offences and reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of passengers across the rail network.