'Women-hater' targeted female train passengers
BBCA "women-hater" who attacked and drunkenly racially abused lone female passengers on a train has been given a suspended sentence.
Andre Langley, 32, kicked, elbowed and hurled abuse at one woman and punched and insulted an elderly passenger during his "disgusting" tirade on the train between Darlington and Leeds, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Both victims said they no longer felt safe using public transport, especially trains, while Judge Amanda Rippon said Langley deliberately targeted women.
Langley, from Newcastle, initially denied wrongdoing but admitted offences including racially aggravated assault as his trial was due to begin.
Langley began abusing his first victim shortly after she sat near him after boarding at Leeds at 16:07 BST on 7 March 2024, prosecutor Tabitha Buck said.
Langley, who appeared drunk and smelled of alcohol, hurled graphic insults at her and repeatedly referred in a derogatory way to her being Polish, the court heard.
He also shouted about how he was "from Jamaica", Buck said.
Langley, of Brigham Close, elbowed and kicked the woman, the court heard, and when she eventually went to get help he turned his attention to another lone woman sitting nearby.
The second woman, who was described in court as being "elderly" and "frail", told him to calm down, but Langley punched her in the arm and made as if to hit her in the face, the court heard.
Langley, who already had 41 offences on his criminal record, was arrested by transport police at Darlington Station, the court heard.
'Nasty views'
In a statement read to the court, the first woman said she had been "scared throughout" and she "honestly believed" he would follow her home.
She said she would "not feel safe using trains in the future", which was echoed by the second woman in her statement.
That woman said Langely had "no regard" for her, an "elderly" and "frail" person, or any other passengers on the train.
She said it had "fully distressed" her that "another human being could be so violent to all on that train".
Rippon said the "lone travellers on an enclosed train" had to deal with Langley's "wholly unacceptable" and "disgusting" behaviour for "far too long".
"Your targets were both women and I'm certain that was deliberate," the judge told Langley, adding: "You would not have done what you did to a man."
She said Langley, whose previous convictions included one for harassing women, was drunk and "apparently" had "some nasty women-hating views" deep within him.
Langley was sentenced to 52 weeks in jail, but Rippon said the current law worked on the presumption that should be suspended due to its short length, which she did for two years.
He was ordered to work with the probation service and complete 100 hours unpaid work.
Langley was also ordered to pay a £50 fine for breaching a previous suspended sentence order.