A United Kingdom court has sentenced a 45-year-old Nigerian man, Obinwa Obichukwu, to two years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a lone woman at Euston Station in London.
Obichukwu was convicted on two counts of sexual assault following a trial at the Inner London Crown Court.
The offender, who resides in Borehamwood, was said to have committed the offence on August 20, 2023, when the victim was walking towards Euston Station, the prosecution, disclosing that the 45-year-old approached the woman and struck up a conversation by asking what music she was listening to.
He was said to have placed his arm around her shoulder and invited her to return to his house with him. As the woman continued walking along Euston Road, Obichukwu allegedly grabbed her hand and repeatedly professed his love for her despite her attempts to continue on her way.
Prosecutors told the court that the situation escalated when the woman reached the entrance to Euston Station. Obichukwu reportedly blocked her path and sexually assaulted her.
Although the victim managed to continue into the station and headed down the escalator towards the Underground platforms, Obichukwu allegedly pursued her and carried out a second sexual assault near the ticket barriers. The woman eventually managed to push him away before escaping from the scene.
The incident was subsequently reported to the British Transport Police (BTP), whose investigators launched an inquiry.
Detectives reviewed CCTV footage from the station, which played a key role in identifying the suspect and securing charges through the Crown Prosecution Service.
During the trial, Obichukwu maintained that the interaction between him and the woman had been consensual. However, the jury rejected his account and found him guilty.
At the sentencing hearing on July 21, the court imposed a two-year custodial sentence. In addition to the prison term, Obichukwu was handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), restricting his behaviour after release, and will remain on the UK’s Sex Offenders Register for the next 10 years.
Reacting to the conviction, British Transport Police Detective Constable Daniel Burke said Obichukwu deliberately targeted a lone woman at one of London’s busiest railway stations.
He said the jury had seen through the defendant’s version of events and delivered a guilty verdict based on the evidence presented.
Burke reaffirmed the British Transport Police’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, describing it as one of the force’s key priorities.
He also encouraged anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual offences or other forms of violence on the railway network to report them immediately by texting 61016, or by contacting the police in an emergency.