A man was found guilty of sexually assaulting a “vulnerable” 22-year-old woman on a bus.

Tharmalingam Sivagaran, from Harrow, was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday, 11 April, after being found guilty of inappropriately touching a woman, following a three day trial.

The 40-year-old was sentenced to a 12 month community order and 150 hours of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £750.00 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

He will also be placed on the sex offender's register for five years.

A woman boarded a Route 114 bus going to Ruislip and sat down on the upper deck on Monday, March 28, at around 7pm.

She was looking out of the window when she felt someone inappropriately rubbing against her.

She turned around to see Sivagaran, who was sat behind her. He pulled his hand away and apologised for his actions.

A short while later he began to touch her again.

When the bus stopped the victim managed to slide past him, with her back towards him but still felt his hand on her body. She then managed to get off the bus and call police.

Officers from the Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) obtained CCTV footage and Oyster Card information from the bus.

Sivagaran was later identified and arrested on April 28, before being charged the same day.

PC Neil Webb, the investigating officer, said: "This was a despicable offence against a vulnerable young woman and I hope this sentence shows how seriously the police and courts take this crime.

“I would like to thank the victim for reporting the matter to police and for her courage in confronting her assailant and giving evidence during the trial.

"If you experience unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network report it to the police. Every report matters and they are taken extremely seriously.

"We will always look to support the victim in these matters to enable them to give their account without fear and help them through any court hearings."