ABDAL KASHIM FROM LONDON JAILED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULTS ON TRAIN IN CHESHIRE
In a disturbing series of incidents that took place during a train journey through Cheshire, Abdul Kashim, a 29-year-old man from Westbeech Road in London, has been convicted and sentenced for sexually assaulting two women at different points during the same trip.The events unfolded as Kashim traveled between the towns of Shrewsbury and York, where he engaged in inappropriate and unlawful conduct towards a teenage girl and a young woman, causing significant distress and trauma to the victims.
According to court records, Kashim first targeted a woman in her 20s, who was a student at the time.
During the journey, he made persistent eye contact and asked if he could sit next to her.
As the train moved along, the woman began to feel increasingly uncomfortable due to Kashim’s fidgeting and invasive behavior.
At one point, he pressed his upper body against hers, which heightened her unease.
She later recounted in her victim impact statement that she felt compelled to text a friend about the incident.
Moments later, Kashim’s hand brushed over her coat and onto her thigh, and then pressed onto her thigh with his cupped hand, holding it there for several seconds.
Overwhelmed and distressed, she moved to another carriage and reported the incident to a female train guard, who then contacted British Transport Police.
The second victim, a teenage girl sitting by the window, encountered Kashim further along the line.
He attempted to initiate conversation by grabbing her student ID and asking about her school and residence.
He also mentioned he was looking for a girl to take to a party.
As the interaction progressed, Kashim began to stroke her hair and asked if she was ticklish.
He then proceeded to touch her inappropriately, squeezing her waist, thigh, and left breast, all while smiling.
The girl, in shock, managed to take several photographs of Kashim on her phone before disembarking at York and reporting him to authorities.
In her victim impact statement, she expressed feelings of suspicion towards men and a reluctance to travel alone, describing her emotional state as both angry and upset due to the incident.
Legal proceedings revealed that Kashim had come to the United Kingdom from Bangladesh to study business management in London.
He had no prior criminal record.
During police interviews, he chose not to comment but later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault during his trial at South Cheshire Magistrates Court.
The court heard that the offenses were serious enough to warrant immediate custody.
Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced Kashim to nine months in prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years.
In his remarks, the judge emphasized the gravity of the crimes, stating that the victims did not lead Kashim on and that they were simply trying to travel peacefully.
The judge also highlighted the impact on the victims, especially noting the woman’s feelings of blame and her inability to face train travel again, and the girl’s increased suspicion and discomfort around men since the incidents.
