NIKOLAY NIKOV SENTENCED IN HOLSWORTHY FOR REPEATED OFFENSES ON BUS TO CULLOMPTON

A disturbing incident involving Nikolay Nikolov, a 23-year-old Bulgarian man, has resulted in his imprisonment following a series of troubling behaviors on a bus traveling from Exeter to Cullompton, with the latest offense occurring in the nearby town of Holsworthy.

On a day in September, after completing a session of unpaid court-ordered work, Nikolov boarded a bus at Exeter Bus Station. He chose to sit on the upper deck, specifically in the row in front of a family consisting of a woman, her two children aged three and seven, and her 13-year-old nephew. Despite numerous empty seats available, Nikolov deliberately sat close to them, immediately beginning to exhibit inappropriate behavior.

According to reports, he started by attempting to look down the woman's top, then shifted his gaze to her three-year-old daughter, making her uncomfortable. The woman, noticing his unsettling stare, asked him to stop. However, Nikolov apologized briefly but soon resumed his inappropriate conduct, continuing to stare and act strangely. When she moved her family to a different part of the bus to escape his gaze, he crossed the aisle to follow them, further intensifying the situation.

During this ordeal, the children alerted their mother that Nikolov had exposed himself. CCTV footage later confirmed that he had spent a significant portion of the journey between Exeter and Cullompton rubbing his crotch and engaging in masturbation. The woman, distressed and alarmed, moved downstairs to inform the bus driver of the incident.

While she was reporting the matter, the older children observed Nikolov's exposed penis, and CCTV evidence showed that he had been fondling himself throughout much of the journey. The woman promptly contacted the police, who recognized Nikolov from their description. He was subsequently arrested at his residence in Cullompton.

During police interviews, Nikolov admitted to masturbating on the bus but denied that he was aroused by the other passengers. It is important to note that he was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed in 2022, which prohibited him from sitting next to females on public transport due to previous inappropriate behavior, including staring at teenage girls and touching himself. Despite this, he breached the order twice, resulting in additional unpaid work sentences.

In court, prosecutor Ms. Hollie Gilbery detailed the sequence of events, emphasizing Nikolov's deliberate actions and disregard for previous court orders. The incident was particularly troubling given his prior convictions and breaches, which demonstrated a pattern of predatory behavior.

Representing the case, Mr. Brian Fitzherbert explained that Nikolov had struggled to complete rehabilitation programs previously due to language barriers, although he expressed remorse and a desire to change. Despite this, the judge, Mr. Justice David Evans, expressed skepticism about his prospects for rehabilitation at this stage, citing the risk he posed to the public.

As a result, Nikolov was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The judge also ordered that he serve half of this sentence behind bars, with the remaining time to be served on license. Additionally, he was subjected to a new seven-year SHPO, which explicitly bans him from sitting next to or following females on public transportation.

In conclusion, this case highlights the ongoing concerns regarding Nikolov's behavior and the measures taken by the courts to protect the public from his predatory actions, especially in light of his repeated breaches and failure to demonstrate rehabilitation.