Woman felt trapped after creep stared at her on Kettering train while …

A woman told police she had never felt so unsafe after a creep stared at her while performing a sex act on a train near Kettering.

The victim was travelling by rail from London St Pancras when Dean Benjamin, 41, entered the carriage and started his warped behaviour.

He also sat opposite her and tried to look up her skirt but was arrested after the victim texted the British Transport Police (BTP).

On Thursday (May 25) convicted sex offender Benjamin, of Stockingstone Road in Luton, was put behind bars for a total of 26 months.

Northampton Crown Court heard the pervert was on a northbound rush-hour train in March last year when he walked past the woman, who was sat at a table.

He then turned back on himself and started staring at her before putting both hands down his trousers and performing a sex act while continuing to stare.

Prosecutor Diane Mundill said he also flattened his trousers to make sure she could see that his penis was erect.

She said: "She felt really uncomfortable and unsafe."

Benjamin, who has convictions for 68 offences including exposure and sexual assault, moved to the seat opposite and attempted to look up her skirt under the table.

The victim texted the BTP using their 61016 reporting service and told a passing ticket inspector, who moved her away.

An incident involving a second woman was not heard in court, but after the sentencing hearing the BTP said Benjamin also ambled to the first-class carriage and performed a sex act while staring at another woman.

An off-duty police officer on the service apprehended Benjamin until the train arrived at Kettering station, where he was removed and immediately taken to police custody. When interviewed he admitted that he might have been tipsy.

In a victim impact statement, the woman who initially reported him said she now feels vulnerable travelling alone.

She said: "In seven years of travelling I have never felt so unsafe and scared for my safety...I felt trapped in my seat."

Benjamin, who appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, pleaded guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He was found guilty of exposing himself to a woman in Luton in a separate incident.

He interrupted court proceedings and had to repeatedly be told to be quiet by Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane.

Mitigating, Subagarey Pathmanathan said Benjamin was a troubled individual with alcohol issues who described himself as the ‘black sheep’ of his family.

She said that he has found his time in prison on remand extremely stressful.

But she added: "He has no-one to blame but himself."

Sentencing, Judge Crane said: "Only a sentence of immediate custody is appropriate."

As he was informed of his sentence Benjamin exclaimed “26 f****** months!" before adding that it was 'making less and less sense'.

He will serve half of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.

Detective Constable Mohit Behl, the investigating officer in the case, said: “Benjamin is quite simply a disgusting individual who targeted two lone women for his own sexual gratification.”