A man has been jailed for a year for outraging public decency on a route 121 bus in Enfield following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service Safer Transport Command (STC).
David Murphy-Hinds, 26 was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, 23 April after pleading guilty. He was also sentenced to an additional 16 weeks imprisonment for breaching a suspended sentence issued to him in January for an unrelated offence.
On 14 March, the victim, a 13-year-old girl, boarded a route 121 bus at Palmers Green Station towards Southgate Station, where Murphy-Hinds boarded and sat near the victim. As she got up to get off the bus, she saw him masturbating.
Officers from the Sexual Offences Team, part of the Transport for London-funded STC, investigated and obtained CCTV images from the bus, which led to Murphy-Hinds being identified.
He was arrested and charged on 28 March and remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court the following day where he pleaded not guilty. He was remanded in custody to appear at Wood Green Crown Court on 9 April, where he changed his plea to guilty and was later sentenced on 23 April.
Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, Safer Transport Command, said: “We are committed to tackling sexual offences on London’s buses and this sentence demonstrates our commitment to bringing those responsible to justice.
“If someone has made you feel uncomfortable on your bus journey – however minor it may seem to you – reporting it to police can help us target the perpetrator and prevent it happening to another passenger.”
Siwan Hayward, Transport for London’s Deputy Director of Enforcement and On-Street Operations, said: “We are absolutely determined to eliminate sexual offences from our transport network, so I am pleased this sex offender has been jailed for what was a disgusting and offensive crime. With the help of our policing partners we will always push for the toughest penalties possible.
“We care about our passengers and every journey they make, and work hard with the police to ensure our transport network remains a safe, low-crime environment. It is never ok to feel threatened or distressed by another person’s behaviour. If someone has made you feel uncomfortable, for example touched you in an inappropriate manner or exposed themselves, please report it the police. You will always be taken seriously.”
The action was part of Project Guardian – a multi-agency initiative involving British Transport Police (BTP), Metropolitan Police Safer Transport Command (STC), City of London Police and Transport for London (TfL).
The partners have been working together to improve the levels of reporting among victims of sexual offences and to create an environment on the capital’s transport network which does not tolerate intimidation and sexual harassment.
