Haringey Independent
May 5, 2014
A man has been jailed for a year for masturbating on a bus in Palmers Green.
David Murphy-Hinds, 26 of Denmark Road in Haringey, was sentenced to one year in prison for outraging public decency.
On March 14, Murphy-Hinds was spotted by a 13-year-old girl on a 121 bus at Palmers Green station heading towards Southgate station masturbating.
The teenager was sitting near Murphy-Hinds and as she got up to get off the bus caught the 26-year-old in the act.
He was arrested and charged on March 28 and remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court the following day where he pleaded not guilty.
However, on April 9 at Wood Green Crown Court, he changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced on April 23.
Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, from safer transport command, said: “We are committed to tackling sexual offences on London’s buses and this sentence demonstrates our commitment to bringing those responsible to justice.
“If someone has made you feel uncomfortable on your bus journey – however minor it may seem to you – reporting it to police can help us target the perpetrator and prevent it happening to another passenger.”
Siwan Hayward, Transport for London’s deputy director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “We are absolutely determined to eliminate sexual offences from our transport network, so I am pleased this sex offender has been jailed for what was a disgusting and offensive crime. With the help of our policing partners we will always push for the toughest penalties possible.”