🔴 TUBE PREDATOR JAILED AFTER STALKING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT SPREE

A serial offender has been jailed for 22 months at the Old Bailey after carrying out a string of sexual assaults and a stalking campaign on the London Underground network.

Craig Anderson, 38, was convicted of four counts of sexual assault and one count of stalking following a trial in January.

Judge Nigel Lickley KC imposed the custodial sentence after hearing how Anderson targeted lone women at major transport hubs including Bank, Liverpool Street, and Westminster stations.

The court was told that the defendant would approach victims to initiate conversation before touching them and fleeing while laughing or smirking.

In one instance, Anderson was captured on CCTV at Bank station following a woman up a flight of stairs and reaching out to touch her as he smiled.

Further evidence showed the defendant on an escalator behind a second victim who was heard to shout "don't touch me" as she moved away from him.

The stalking charge related to a separate victim whom Anderson met on a train in June and subsequently harassed until October.

The prosecution established that the defendant used eight different phone numbers to send continuous messages and a prohibited image to the woman against her wishes.

On a journey to Victoria station, Anderson took the victim's mobile phone and medication before following her when she attempted to seek refuge in a bathroom.

During his arrest at a passport office in Canning Town, Anderson made derogatory remarks about his victims to police officers.

The court heard that Anderson has an extensive criminal record consisting of 49 previous convictions, including prior incidents of harassment and breaching restraining orders.

At the time of the latest offences, the defendant was in breach of an 18-month community order and a suspended sentence imposed for the harassment of a former partner.

Judge Lickley KC described the defendant as possessing distorted beliefs about his relationships with women and noted a very high risk of future reoffending.

The defence submitted that work was required to address how the defendant builds relationships with others.

Anderson will serve at least half of his sentence in custody before being eligible for release on licence under the supervision of the probation service.

The judge confirmed that the sentence reflects the serious nature of the stalking and the vulnerability of the women targeted on public transport.A serial offender has been jailed for 22 months at the Old Bailey after carrying out a string of sexual assaults and a stalking campaign on the London Underground network…