Hotel migrant hung around Victoria station drinking and groping women

A drunken hotel migrant who groped a woman as she shopped with her partner is facing jail.

Tamil Ragunathan Subramaniam, 53, assaulted the shocked woman at the shopping centre in Victoria railway station on 25 October 2024.

Subramaniam worked as a shop assistant at the time and lives at the three-star Bridge Park Hotel in Wembley, northwest London.

He initially denied sexual assault, but later admitted the charge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Subramaniam appeared in the dock wearing a grey-blue quarter zip sweatshirt, and folded his arms in the dock.

His sentencing was delayed until next month because probation services had not been able to get in touch with him ahead of today’s court date as he had changed his phone number.

Subramaniam will also be assessed for an alcohol treatment programme and a possible sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Ellen Alexander earlier said: ‘A security officer was on duty in Victoria station shopping centre.

‘At 5.30pm in the evening, he noticed the defendant, who was banned from entering the shopping mall.

‘He was banned from the shopping mall as he has been there numerous times intoxicated and harassing members of the public.

‘He saw the defendant walking towards him, at which point the complainant was walking with her partner down the shopping mall.

‘The defendant used his right hand and grabbed her right buttock.

‘The security officer had witnessed this.

‘The complainant turned around and she was shocked.

‘The security officer took hold of him and escorted him into the car park, at which point the defendant threw his bag at him.

‘Later outside he was shouting and swearing, and was later arrested for being drunk and disorderly.’

Subramaniam was unrepresented as he is not eligible for a taxpayer funded lawyer.

He was released on conditional bail, not to enter Victoria Station, ahead of sentence on 18 June at the same court.

Magistrate Sonia Andrews said: ‘We’re not dealing with this matter today because a report wasn’t able to be prepared, because you’ve changed your phone.

‘Probation have kindly arranged another appointment time for you, and then you will also be contacted about an alcohol treatment programme by another provider.

‘You are due back here at Westminster Magistrate’s Court for your sentence when all this work has been done in preparation on 18 June at 2pm.

‘Until then you are on conditional bail and that is that you shall not use or go anywhere near Victoria railway station.

‘You must comply with this condition.

‘You must not commit any offence between now and those next dates or any sentence would be greater.’