Train sex attacker jailed

From the archive, first published Sunday 15th Apr 2007.

A PERVERT who sexually assaulted a teacher on a train has been jailed for two years.

Wayne Talbot, 33, struck as the terrified woman travelled alone on a c2c train between Pitsea and Stanford-le-Hope.

Judge Phillip Clegg told Talbot: "What you did constitutes every woman's nightmare.

"Late at night in a railway carriage, all alone, and who should come in but someone bent on getting their sexual way.

"That woman was a nervous wreck by the time she got off the train.

"She'll never, ever forget that night."

At Basildon Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Jackson told how Talbot's sickening attack was captured on CCTV.

He got onto the train at around 9pm on March 17, 2005, with his bicycle, then walked through to the carriage where the victim was sitting.

Moments after striking up a conversation with the former Basildon school teacher, he leaned over, grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to kiss her while fondling her breasts.

Talbot, of Fern Court, Nursery Road, Stanford-le-Hope, then forced her legs apart with his knees and sexually assaulted her as she sat trapped in her seat.

The attack only came to an end when the train stopped and Talbot went off to get his bike.

At one point during her ordeal the victim remembered Talbot saying to her: "I will see you tomorrow and I will look forward to it."

Talbot was eventually arrested in August after an ex-girlfriend recognised his picture on a wanted poster at Tilbury police station.

He initially denied sexual assault by penetration and his first trial was aborted when the victim, who now lives in Germany, had forgotten to bring her glasses to view the CCTV footage.

He eventually pleaded guilty at his second trial to sexual assault after watching enhanced footage of the CCTV.

Speaking after the case Det Con Paul Cudby from British Transport Police said: The sentence reflects the awfulness and seriousness of the attack which has possibly left the victim traumatised for life."

Mr Cudby said there was CCTV on almost every c2c train and while this would reassure passengers it served as a warning to anyone who intended to misbehave.

Talbot will also have to sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years and has been given a sexual offences prevention order. This bans him from talking to any lone woman using public transport, except for legitimate purposes.