Man guilty of harassment campaign against women
A barber who was previously banned from the nation’s railways has been found guilty of indulging his sick fixation on three women with a campaign of harassment.
Orhan Idriz, of St Luke’s Avenue, Maidstone, hounded two women on trains between Strood and Maidstone West on numerous occasions between December and January.
The 38-year-old boarded the services and stared at his victims between the seats, grunted at them, looked up one woman’s skirt and flicked chewed-up balls of newspaper at the other.
On one occasion the Bulgarian national followed his sobbing victim as she fled down the carriage, and on another the defendant sat with his legs open and rubbing his thighs as he sniggered at his target.
The court also heard Idriz, who works at Jacob’s Barbers and Tanning Salon in Mill Street, became infatuated with a customer and launched a year-long onslaught of unwanted attention, offering her free treatment and staring at her in the changing rooms.
The victim, who described Idriz’s behaviour as creepy, stopped visiting the shop, but he tracked her down, approaching her in Week Street and going to her place of work, watching her and loitering outside until the end of her shift.
On each occasion she told him to leave her alone.
But the incidents only stopped when police got involved and arrested Idriz after reports he pestered her on a night out.
After his release, Idriz breached bail conditions to avoid any form of contact when he messaged her on Facebook. He previously admitted being present on each occasion but claimed the harassment allegations were made up.
After a two-day trial at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court, where the three victims were allowed to give evidence from behind screens, Idriz was found guilty of three counts of harassment without violence.
Chairman of the bench Andrew Backway said: “We find any reasonable person would have known their conduct would have caused alarm and distress.”
A smirking Idriz was bailed for sentencing at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, October 25.
He remains banned from using the UK’s rail network without approval from British Transport Police, except on the day of his next court appearance. These are part of his bail conditions.