Rail passenger who asked if he could kiss woman is first to be sentenced under harassment law

A man who grabbed a young woman's hair on the train and said "can I kiss you" is the first to be sentenced under new sex-based harassment laws.

David Stroud, 44, made sexually motivated comments to the woman on a train to London on 3 April, two days after a new law came into force banning harassment motivated by a person's sex.

He had been on bail for stalking when he harassed the victim on the train.

Stroud was sentenced for both offences on Tuesday and was spared jail, receiving a 12-month community order and being told to complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.

The 44-year-old father of two pleaded guilty to harassing the woman because of her sex at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on 7 May.

Prosecutor Paul Okebu told the court Stroud sat next to the woman, who was on the phone to her boyfriend, on a train which departed from Hastings at around 8.50pm.

Stroud attempted to speak to the young woman, who tried to ignore him as she was a lone female travelling, the prosecutor said.

Stroud, of Dartford, Kent, was "constantly leaning on to the woman" and got closer, saying "you're magical" and grabbing her hair, which the victim "perceived to be sexual", the court heard.

The woman said she could smell alcohol on his breath.

Mr Okebu said the woman said the incident "made her feel very uncomfortable", she felt "cornered" and that she had told Stroud to get off her hair and not touch her.

"He continued to try to make conversation and then asked 'can I kiss you?'," Mr Okebu said, to which the woman said "absolutely not".

The woman's boyfriend heard the comments on the phone and called BTP, who arrested Stroud at London Bridge railway station.

The court heard that while under caution, Stroud said: "It's just banter, we had banter together, do you know what I mean?"

He added: "I've done nothing wrong to her."

In a statement, the victim said she struggles to travel on public transport after the incident.

"I now struggle to get on public transport, especially trains, both alone and with friends. When I do travel, I'm on constant alert and I'm extra vigilant," she said.

Since the legislation was introduced two months ago, 26 men have been arrested for the offence.

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Stroud previously pleaded guilty to a separate 22-month stalking campaign, the court heard.

He stalked his ex-partner's adult daughter, going to her home regularly and sending her unwanted gifts and over 200 emails. The victim was granted a five year restraining order against Stroud.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Stroud said: "The law changes and it is what it is. I was just unlucky that I was the first person at the time."

"I wasn't a monster," he said.

'Prosecution sends a message'

Olivia Rose, the Crown Prosecution Service's lead on stalking and deputy chief Crown prosecutor, said the new offence bridged a gap in the law.

"In these kinds of cases, it's really important that victims feel that they should come forward and it's about sending a message to defendants that this is more than just friendly banter, this is persistent, unwanted and deeply distressing for victims, and we need to send a message that this will not be tolerated and it must stop," she said.

BTP Detective Superintendent Sam Painter said offenders can face up to two years behind bars under the new law, which recognises the "seriousness of the offending".

He said Stroud's sentence will "send a deterrent out to people who do think this is banter".

"It's clearly not banter," he said. "It's unacceptable."

(c) Sky News 2026: Rail passenger who asked if he could kiss woman is first to be sentenced under harassment law