A 27-year-old Nigerian-born man, Daniel Odubanjo, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for sexually assaulting two women on a London train.
Odubanjo, a resident of King Avenue, Clapham, south London, was convicted by Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this month on charges of false imprisonment and two counts of sexual assault on females.
The incidents occurred on November 29, 2024, aboard a train travelling from Shenfield in Essex to Chelmsford.
According to the British Transport Police (BTP), Odubanjo’s first victim was a 21-year-old woman who he trapped inside a train toilet after repeatedly banging on the door while it was engaged.
When the woman opened the door, Odubanjo pushed her back inside, locked the door, and forcefully grabbed her wrists before sexually assaulting her.
The victim managed to briefly open the door and attempted to get the attention of fellow passengers, but Odubanjo pulled her back into the toilet and continued the assault as she screamed for help.
Police said the woman only gained her freedom after lying that she was 14 years old, which prompted Odubanjo to release her. She immediately alighted from the train at Chelmsford station.
Minutes later, Odubanjo targeted a second victim, a 17-year-old girl, sitting opposite her and asking inappropriate questions before exposing himself.
When he left for the toilet, the teenager moved closer to other passengers and informed them of what had happened. However, Odubanjo returned, sat beside her, and sexually assaulted her until a nearby passenger intervened and pulled him off the girl.
BTP officers arrested Odubanjo when the train arrived at Hatfield Peverel station.
In addition to the six-year jail term, the court issued a sexual harm prevention order against Odubanjo and prohibited him from being under the influence of any intoxicating substance or alcohol while on public transport, transport stations, or Network Rail property.
Detective Sergeant Hayley Whyte, who investigated the case, described the attacks as terrifying.
“Odubanjo preyed on a young woman and a teenage girl in terrifying attacks just minutes apart. Both were left distressed and traumatised by the vile assaults he subjected them to,” she said.
Whyte commended both victims for their courage in reporting the crimes to the police.
