A man who attacked a lone woman on a train before forcing her to perform a sex act on him has been jailed. Peter Greenwood, 27, of Leyton, was sentenced to 11 years and five months in prison at Isleworth Crown Court on September 7.
The violent sexual assault on the female passenger in her thirties happened on a train travelling towards Dorking station in the early evening of May 31, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
In a statement published on its website, BTP provided an account of what happened:
During the journey, Greenwood was walking through the carriage in an anti-social manner, Surrey Live reports.
At a point when the train carriage was empty, he stood next to the victim and when she looked up, she saw Greenwood had exposed his penis and was touching himself inappropriately.
He asked the victim to touch him and she refused. Greenwood then moved closer to the victim and shouted at her, demanding her to perform a sex act on him.
When she continued to refuse, Greenwood grabbed her around the mouth (his hand was covering her mouth and nose) and he hit her several times.
The terrified victim was then forced to comply with his demands for a few seconds.
At Dorking station, the woman managed to break free and ran out of the train. But Greenwood continued to hit the woman and tried to pull her back into the train. His teeth also made contact with her forehead causing a small cut.
On the platform, staff members and members of the public came to her after she called for help.
Meanwhile, Greenwood ran onto the tracks to try to escape up an embankment. Police and paramedics were called.
The victim discovered her purse was missing. She believed Greenwood had taken her purse while she was on the train. Her purse was later found by police in a bush at Box Hill and Westhumble station.
After police enquiries and a public appeal for information, Greenwood was charged with causing a female to engage in a sexual activity without consent (no penetration), theft, actual bodily harm, attempted robbery, and common assault.
Greenwood pleaded guilty to the five charges.
As well as being sentenced to 11 years and five months in jail, Greenwood will be placed on the sex offenders register for life and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
He is also not allowed to sit next to or opposite any lone female passenger unknown to him on any public transport in the UK.