What should have been a simple train ride home for a 20-year-old student turned into something deeply unsettling when a man she had briefly crossed paths with at Crawley Station suddenly reappeared beside her.
Moments earlier, he had flashed her an odd thumbs-up near the ticket barriers, a gesture she didn’t think much about at the time.
But things quickly shifted from strange to frightening once they were both on the same Thameslink service.
The Unwanted Approach
The man, later identified as 27-year-old Hawre Mohamed, didn’t waste time.
He sat beside her in an almost empty carriage and immediately began asking intrusive questions about where she lived and whether she had a partner.
Before she could move away, he escalated things, trying to kiss her and grabbing her inappropriately while insisting, “I want to have sex with you.”
With her trapped against a window seat and no one nearby to intervene, panic set in.
Repeated Attempts to Escape
The student tried to pull away, telling him to stop, but Mohamed pushed himself closer, ignoring every protest.
Prosecutors described how he followed her into the carriage, left her no room to move, and continued touching her even as she pleaded with him.
His aggressive advances left her shaken, confused, and terrified.
A Day of Disturbing Behaviour
Court proceedings later revealed that Mohamed had been attempting to approach several random women earlier that same day.
When officers finally stopped him, he denied any wrongdoing and insisted, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
He would later go on to claim that the young woman somehow “wanted sex,” contradicting everything she described and everything captured on CCTV.
Life Inside a Hotel Paid for by Taxpayers
At the time of the incident, Mohamed had been staying at the £100-a-night Four Points by Sheraton near Gatwick Airport—accommodation funded by taxpayers while his asylum application remained under review by the Home Office.
The Victim Speaks Out in Court
In her statement, the young woman explained how uncomfortable she had felt even before the assault began, describing how he had been staring at her in a way that made her uneasy.
She told the court she was left “shaken and distressed” and that the incident made her feel completely violated.
She also recalled him making an unsettling remark regarding her age—saying he didn’t “go below 18.”
Mohamed’s Shocking Excuses
Even after his arrest, Mohamed refused to accept what he had done.
He insisted she welcomed the contact, even saying, “She was pleased… she wanted sex,” despite the overwhelming evidence and her obvious attempts to get away from him.
His defence argued that he stopped when she withdrew consent, a claim flatly contradicted by the victim and the prosecution.
A Firm Verdict from the Judge
District Judge Nicola Fleck rejected Mohamed’s explanation without hesitation.
She ruled that the victim had been clear, consistent, and truthful, and confirmed that Mohamed had followed and assaulted her without consent.
In a powerful moment, the young woman faced him directly in court—declining the use of a protective screen—while the verdict was delivered.
Tears in the Dock
Mohamed became emotional when he learned he was facing prison and would remain in custody until sentencing.
The judge made it clear that the seriousness of the assault left no room for leniency. His sentencing is scheduled for December 8.
A Case That Raises Stark Questions
The incident has reignited conversation around women’s safety on public transport, the handling of asylum claims, and the responsibilities of authorities housing individuals awaiting decisions.
For the young woman at the centre of this case, however, the priority was simply telling her story and knowing that her voice was heard.
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