Chadwell Heath Tube creep Grigore Tiron given community order

Grigore Tiron, 29, of Alexandra Road in Chadwell Heath, was on a Northern Line train late at night when he spotted a young woman travelling on her own. 

He decided to put his hands down his trousers while looking at her, and then put his arm around her to her clear discomfort. 

When her mum met her at the station and confronted Tiron, he smirked and said: “No English.” 

Tiron appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Monday (February 12) after he admitted assault by beating. 

He had initially been accused of sexual assault but that charge was dropped after his guilty plea to assault. 

At around 10.20pm on November 4, 2022, the young woman got on the Northern Line from Euston as she was travelling home from university, prosecutor Oliver Wellings said. 

“During the journey the defendant came into the carriage. She and he were alone in the carriage for most of the journey,” Mr Wellings said. 

“She noticed him seeming to put his hands in his trousers and this made her uncomfortable.” 

He then put his arm on the back of her seat so his hand was rested on the top of her arm. 

“She tried to move away as she was obviously uncomfortable, but he repeated the gesture on four occasions and was leaning into her,” Mr Wellings said. 

“She even responded by jumping out of her seat and moving to the door.” 

The young woman got off the train at Morden and called her sister and her mum who were waiting for her. 

Mr Wellings said: “They spotted Mr Tiron, who seemed to be smirking. Her mum confronted him, asking him if he thinks it’s appropriate to put his arm around a young woman. “He replied ‘No English, Romanian.’” Grigore Tiron (Image: Newsquest)Tiron was identified via the bank card he used and was arrested. 

During a police interview he admitted putting his arm on the woman but denied sexual intention. 

“I deny sexual assault but take the opportunity to admit an offence of assault by beating and to apologise for my actions on the Tube,” he said. 

The young woman described how she now uses the Tube less and finds it a panicking experience. 

“She said she now gets a coach to university which takes much longer,” Mr Wellings said. 

Katrina Charles, representing Tiron, said her client’s actions that evening were entirely out of character. 

Judge Stephen Phillips QC sentenced Tiron to a one-year community order with 50 hours of unpaid work. 

“This was an extremely distressing incident which had lasting effects on [the young woman’s] behaviour and levels of anxiety when using public transport,” he said. 

“There was a degree of repetition in your behaviour and it was directed at a young female who was in a vulnerable and confined situation. 

“You must appreciate that there can be no excuse whatsoever for what you did.” 

He warned Tiron: “I take the view that this was an out of character offence committed by you when you were in drink. 

“You have not today been sent to custody, but be in no doubt at all that repetition of offending of this or any other character may lead to you appearing in this court again and being sent to custody.”