A perverted pensioner has been banned from using trains after he was caught committing an indecent act while looking at a sleeping passenger.
David Gilbert was travelling on the East Coast Main Line, between Newcastle and Edinburgh when his dirty deed was spotted by a fellow traveller. The woman saw the 76-year-old Gilbert's reflection while looking out the window, Newcastle Magistrates Court heard.
His hand was moving under a newspaper on his lap as he looked at a sleeping female passenger in a nearby seat. Gilbert was arrested when the LNER train stopped at Newcastle Central Station.
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He pleaded guilty to outraging public decency on Monday and has been banned from using all trains until he is sentenced later this month.
In imposing bail strict bail conditions on Gilbert, who has a previous conviction for a similar offence, chair of the bench Keith McIntosh said: "We are concerned about you being on any form of public transport, however we realise you live in Sunderland and you have got to come back to court.
"You are back in this court on May 31 . Until that time you are going to be on conditional bail. You are not allowed to travel on any train and you are not allowed to travel on the Metro.
"We have got to protect the public because you haven't learned from your previous offences."
Niamh Reading, prosecuting explained how Gilbert was caught out by another passenger travelling on the same train on the night of December 4 last year. The woman, who was sitting in front of Gilbert, was looking out the window and could see what he was doing in the reflection.
"She witnessed an elderly male sitting on an aisle seat behind her," said Ms Reading. "The defendant has been sitting with a newspaper on his knee. She witnessed his hand moving up and down in a masturbating motion.
"All the while Mr Gilbert had been looking towards a sleeping female on the seats directly across from the defendant." The woman also noticed the defendant's jeans were undone, said Ms Reading.
The witness said Gilbert stopped what he was doing after around 15 to 20 seconds and began reading the newspaper, the court was told. But he began again around 20 minutes later, when the female passenger fell asleep again, said Ms Reading.
The witness told the man she was travelling with what she had seen and he challenged Gilbert telling him to "put everything away now," the court was told.
The witness then texted a friend of hers who was an off duty police officer who was travelling on the same train, but in a different carriage. "The off duty officer came down to sit in the same carriage," said Ms Reading. "Nothing further happened however, train staff were notified of the incident."
The officer told the passenger who had been asleep what had happened, and when Gilbert was approached and told his behaviour had been seen he said he wanted to speak to a solicitor, the court heard.
Gilbert, of Westheath Avenue in Sunderland, was escorted off the train when it stopped at Newcastle Central Station. When police noticed his jeans were open and his "penis exposed" he was arrested," the court heard.
Magistrates were told that Gilbert had previous convictions for outraging public decency and exposure. The case was adjourned and Gilbert will return to the court to be sentenced later this month.
Magistrates told him he could use the Metro to travel to court. Mr McIntosh added: "For the purposes of coming to court or to see your solicitor we will allow you to travel on the Metro."
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