Lecherous Leeds man made threats to take woman into railway station toilets
A lecherous Leeds man made vile comments to a woman waiting at a railway station and was seen loitering around the female toilets.
Thomas McConnell was jailed at Leeds Crown Court for a public order offence, causing alarm or distress.
The 24-year-old was sat in the waiting room at Reading Railway Station in Berkshire on December 7 last year, when he told a woman she was “fit”.
Sitting opposite, he was staring at her and continued to shout. He told her he would “do her”, that she was “asking for it” and that he wanted to take her to the bathroom and that she would “like it”.
He also called her “sl*t” several times. The horrified woman pretended to be on her phone, prosecutor Emily Jenkins told the court.
The distressed woman eventually told British Transport Police officers and they moved to arrest McConnell.
A witness later said they had noticed McConnell standing outside the female toilets with his hood up and asking women their names as they walked out.
During a police interview he told officers he had been on an unsuccessful date and was catching a train to a friend’s.
He said he was trying to be complimentary towards the woman in the waiting room and that she was “twisting” his words. He said he did not intend to be aggressive.
McConnell, of no fixed address but was previously living the Belle Isle area, was already on a suspended sentence for dangerous driving from May of last year.
On that occasion he was given eight months’ jail, suspended for 24 months, and given unpaid work and rehabilitation days with probation.
He appeared in court for his latest offence over a video link from HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire.
Mitigating, Olivia English said that McConnell had been diagnosed with ADHD.
She said he had remorse and had time to “reflect” on his behaviour. She added: “He has nobody else to blame and apologies. He understands it and apologises for it.”
Judge Simon Batiste conceded he was limited in his sentencing powers due to the relatively low-level offence.
He activated all eight months of his suspended sentence and added two months for the public order offence, making a total of 10 months behind bars.
Referring to the railway incident, he told McConnell: “Given the lines you were using, I can’t say I’m surprised your date was unsuccessful.
“Your behaviour in that railway station was appalling, suggesting you wanted sexual intercourse with her there and then.”