Council boss ‘pressed groin against women’s shoulders on trains’
A SenIOr council official repeatedly pressed his groin against women’s shoulders on busy commuter trains, a court heard yesterday.
gary davies, 54, was caught by undercover police sent to investigate claims he was standing in train aisles and rubbing himself against women who were seated.
the probe was triggered after a young woman took a photo of him and handed it to police, claiming he had repeatedly assaulted her over six months.
When questioned by detectives, davies claimed he had a bad back which forced him to lean into the aisle seats where his alleged victims were seated, and that any contact was accidental. he denies five counts of sexual assault. davies was head of serv- ices for early intervention at Bristol City Council, which saw him work with troubled families, and commuted to the city on the 7.24am train from taunton.
his first alleged victim, a 30year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed the assaults were carried out between december 2015 and May 2016. Plain clothes police observed davies leaning his crotch against two other women’s shoulders as they sat in aisle seats, Bristol Crown Court heard. he was spotted pressing against one woman who gave him an ‘exaggerated look’, prompting an apology, the court heard.
he then allegedly moved to another aisle seat where he leaned against another woman, who realised he was pressing against her in a way that made her uncomfortable.
Prosecutor Anna Midgley said: ‘Mr davies gained sexual gratification by pressing himself up against women while travelling on a commuter train.
‘It was contact which made them uncomfortable.’
She added: ‘A woman reported an incident to police. She explained there was a male who regularly took the train, and produced a photo she had taken on that day. the first incident was in december 2015 ... and she recalled she was sitting at the front of a carriage in a window seat when this male had got on at taunton and sat next to her.
‘She remembered his hand was on his legs but moved across and touched her thighs. there was no apparent reason for him to do so apart from sexual gratification. the second incident was the next day when the same male got on at taunton.
‘this time she was sitting in the aisle seat when he came and stood next to her, with his groin against her shoulder.’
giving evidence yesterday, the woman added: ‘I believed what he was doing was pretty inconspicuous and was intentional.’
defence barrister Brian Altman reminded the complainant she did not challenge the man who assaulted her, adding: ‘You could have told him “get off me you pervert”.’
he said his client was not the man who touched her inappropriately. the trial continues.