Youths jailed for sex attack on train

THREE teenagers who tried to rob two students on a train before sexually assaulting and attacking a young woman have been locked up.

Two of the 17-year-old youths admitted targeting the two students after boarding a Southend-bound train at Grays and threatening them with lit sparklers before ordering them to hand over cash and their ipods.

During the attack one of the victims, who were also surrounded by the third defendant, also aged 17, and their gang, was twice slapped in the face.

Later on November 4 last year, two of the defendants, who both live in Grays, picked on a 17-year-old girl as she boarded a train at Southend.

The unnamed youths, who were captured on CCTV, were convicted after a trial last month of sexually assaulting the victim on the journey to Grays.

Then one of the defendants, who also admitted common assault, slapped and punched her in the face as he tried to get her to perform oral sex and both grabbed her breasts.

The terrified victim's ordeal was not over as she was then sprayed with a fire extinguisher by two of the youths and when she tried to protect herself one of the teenagers, who also admitted two counts of common assault, struck her in the face.

At Basildon Crown Court today Judge Rupert Overbury sentenced the defendants to detention and training orders. One youth, who lives in Tilbury, must serve 18 months, the second youth must serve 16 months and the third youth must serve 10 months.

Judge Overbury told them:"During the evening of November 4 last year the three of you at various times participated in what can only be described as a course of gratuitous and violent conduct on trains bound to and from Southend."

Judge Overbury said the sexual assault was aggravated by the fact they were committed on a young girl travelling alone on a train.

The two defendants who stood trial were acquitted of rape.