DANIEL OAKES AND SHOCKING SEXUAL ASSAULT AT DERBY BUS STATION
A woman from Derby has finally obtained justice after enduring a distressing incident of sexual assault that took place at Derby bus station.The perpetrator, Daniel Oakes, aged 19 and residing on Bass Street in Derby, was sentenced to serve 26 weeks in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault on a female.
In addition to his prison term, Judge Taaffe ordered Oakes to register as a sex offender for the next seven years, underscoring the seriousness of his crime.
The victim, a 25-year-old woman, personally contacted Derbyshire Live to recount the traumatic experience.
She described how she was groped by a man who was wearing an electronic ankle tag while she was waiting at the bus station.
The incident occurred around 9am on Thursday, September 22.
She revealed that she was left deeply shocked and distressed by the event.
When she initially reported the assault to the station's security personnel, she was dismissed with a response telling her to “stop being childish.” When she attempted to push the attacker away, she was threatened with being expelled from the bus station for displaying aggression.
Police initially considered closing the case due to their inability to identify the suspect.
This decision was despite the victim having taken photographs of the man and noting that he was wearing an ankle electronic monitor.
She explained that she was left feeling “isolated and alone” following the incident.
The police force has since announced that they are reviewing their handling of the case to understand whether their response was adequate.
The victim expressed her frustration with the support she received, criticizing both police and security staff at Derby bus station for their poor handling of the situation.
She stated, “I experienced a significant lack of help and support from not only the police, but the security staff at the bus station, who dealt with the matter very poorly.
I was treated like the crazy one.
I needed help and none was given.” Following this disheartening experience, Derbyshire Live contacted the police with the photographs the victim provided.
These images prompted the force to reopen the investigation.
A public appeal for further information was launched using these photographs, which ultimately led to Oakes's arrest.
Just five days after the arrest, Oakes pleaded guilty at Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court, where the victim shared her account in detail.
She described how she had been sitting at the bus station when she noticed a young man loitering nearby, often on his phone.
Soon after, he approached and sat next to her.
She recounted, “Not even a minute passed by and I felt a brushing on my hip.
At first, I thought it was his bag or clothing passing by.
When I reached down to brush it off, I felt his hand on my bottom/hip area.” The distress worsened as she immediately jumped up and confronted him, demanding to know what he was doing.
She then proceeded to alert security, informing them that she had just been sexually assaulted.
Initial security response was dismissive; they merely said they would “keep an eye on him.” Unwilling to accept this, she made a scene at the bus station, questioned the man about his inappropriate conduct, and pushed him away when he pushed back.
Her actions resulted in security staff threatening to remove her from the premises for being aggressive.
During this confrontation, she was told to “get on her bus and stop being childish,” despite the station being crowded.
Only one other individual, a student from Derby College, showed any support or belief in her account.
Following the incident, the woman expressed ongoing concerns about her personal safety and heightened paranoia.
She observed that the security guard involved had not apologized for their dismissive behavior or the threat to remove her.
She also noted that while the man was told to board his bus, he claimed he was just “bus watching,” which she believes should have been an adequate reason for him to be removed from the station.
A critical element in this case was the ankle tag the suspect was wearing.
In the UK, courts issue two main types of electronic tags—curfew tags, which monitor whether an offender is at a specific location during designated hours, and location tags, which track a person’s whereabouts 24/7.
The presence of a grey ankle monitor indicated that Oakes was a recent offender, which provided a vital clue to investigators.
The victim also voiced her disappointment that the case was initially considered for closure without further action.
She emphasized that despite having a clear image and description of the suspect, authorities seemed reluctant to pursue the matter.
“Even though I had a very good image and description of him, they chose to avoid trying to attempt to serve justice.
I felt he would have been easily traceable with the tag on his ankle.
I’m glad he has now been convicted, but it shouldn’t have taken third-party intervention to get to this point.” Derbyshire police issued a statement explaining that their initial investigation was thorough and included following all reasonable lines of enquiry.
However, the case was filed when no suspect could initially be identified, despite the victim’s photographic evidence.
They clarified that the case was not closed before a sergeant had reviewed the evidence, including the images, and subsequently deemed that a proper identification could be made.
This review process led to the arrest and charging of Daniel Oakes.
The police also acknowledged that the victim’s experience during the initial investigation did not meet their standards.
They have announced that a further review is ongoing to assess whether additional support or procedures are necessary to improve future responses.
A representative from Derby City Council, which manages the bus station, confirmed cooperation with the police investigation.
They stated, “We are aware of the incident in Derby bus station on September 22 and have cooperated with Derbyshire police as part of their investigation.”
