Exclusive:Smirking face of jailed pervert who sexually assaulted woman on coach trip and attacked driver at services
Victim was “frozen with fear” and felt “unable to move or make a noise”
A pervert who had just sexually assaulted a lone woman on a National Express coach punched its driver to the head and threw him to the ground as the vehicle pulled off the M1 into a Rotherham service station.
The coach - travelling from London to Scotland - was stopped by its driver at Woodall Services as other passengers tried to protect the traumatised female from the gropy sex pest in the early hours of September 30 last year.
Sheffield Crown Court heard defendant Tahir Hussainkhil, aged 22, had just punched his victim “hard” twice to the head as she tried to photograph him moments after he put her through the “two-three-minute” grope.
Prosecutor Richard Davis told the court Hussainkhil screamed he wanted to “kill” the woman “20 times” and as the coach was stopped other passengers had to protect her from further attacks.
Judge Graham Reeds KC told Hussainkhil his attitude was “frankly shameful” and the courts “must protect lone women”.
Mr Davis said Hussainkhil’s female victim was sat beside him on the coach when she felt a hand “brush against her thigh”.
He added: “She didn’t think much of it at the time and assumed it was an accident.”
However as she tried to sleep Hussainkhil’s predatory touches advanced to the area of her groin in the “two-three minute” assault during which she suspected he had ejaculated.
The prosecutor said the victim was “frozen with fear” and felt “unable to move or make a noise”.
It came to an end when the flash on her phone’s camera activated as she tried to photograph Hussainkhil’s hand.
After challenging Hussainkhil she reported the assault to the driver who replied he would stop the coach as soon as he could.
“(The complainant) took a photo of the defendant and he lunged at her trying to grab the phone.” Hussainkhil then threw punches when she kicked him “hard” to “protect herself”, said Mr Davis.
The court heard Hussainkhil was also abusive to police as they arrested him, accusing them of being “racist”.
During an interview he claimed to have touched the woman “accidentally” and that others had attacked him as he tried to exit the bus.
Hussainkhil was found guilty of sexual assault, assault by beating and threatening behaviour during a magistrates trial. However he still denied the offences and had even launched a failed appeal against conviction.
The court heard Pashto-speaking Hussainkhil, of Two Ball Lonnen, Newcastle upon Tyne, had no previous convictions and had been in the UK for around three years.
He was, said barrister Michael Cane-Soothill, living with his mother and sister while awaiting the outcome of an asylum claim. Pre-sentence reports alluded to his having witnessed “traumatic events” in the past.
Jailing Hussainkhil for two years, Judge Graham Reeds KC told him: “This was a sustained incident of sexual assault and as courts we must protect lone women from behaviour like this.
“I’ve read you have been in situations where you witnessed traumatic events but that does not explain your violent reaction - which was thuggery pure and simple.
“You were entirely responsible for that violence and the understandable reaction of the other passengers, who were simply trying to protect a woman being attacked by you.
“I’ve seen the body-worn footage of your behaviour when police arrived. There is no excuse for this incident and your frankly shameful attitude towards the police and that lone woman on a coach.
“It was not a momentary thing, it lasted a couple of minutes. Despite your protests there can be no doubt about what you did.
“There’s no doubt about the length of time during which you did it. You punched her to the head and they were hard punches.”
The judge noted Hussainkhil had still not accepted the offences despite being convicted by magistrates on “overwhelming” evidence.
He said: “I also see you have no remorse for what you did because you still deny it to probation staff and the court. You have wasted more time with an appeal and your application had no merit whatsoever.”
Hussainkhil was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and told he would be liable for automatic deportation upon release from prison.