PERVY ROWER FINED A WEEK’S WAGES

AN Italian Olympic rower convicted of taking pictures up a woman’s skirt on a train has been fined £ 1,800 – one week’s pay for him.

Roberto Blanda, 48, who rowed for Italy at the 1992 Barcelona Games and in Atlanta in 1996 claimed he only snapped the woman on the Twickenham to Waterloo train on July 19 last year as a joke.

He was reported by other passengers but the victim did not go to the police, Westminster JPs heard.

Farah Ahmed, defending Blanda said this showed the offence did not have an impact on the victim.

But deputy District Judge Claire Evans said the woman was foreign and probably just did not understand what the other passengers were saying.

“It was only a bit of luck on the part of your client,” the magistrate added.

Offence

Turning to Blanda she said: “In my judgement it is a serious matter. I do not know what you were thinking.

“Where have you been? There is a new law coming in for this specific offence.’

“I’ve seen your means and they are not inconsiderable. I am going to make a fine of one week’s pay, so £ 1,800.”

After his Olympic career, Blanda moved into business and is now the Head of Human Resources and General Services at British American Tobacco.

As well as the fine Blanda will have to pay a £ 170 victim surcharge.

Earlier, prosecutor Robert Simpson said: “Three members of the public saw Mr Blanda taking photos underneath the skirt of a female passenger standing on the aisle.

“He took one picture, looked at the image and then did it twice again.

“The images were clearly of the area between the woman’s legs.”

Blanda, of Chertsey, Surrey, pleaded guilty to outraging public decency but had claimed that he only took the shots as a joke with his girlfriend.