‘Sorry for sexually assaulting passenger – I just couldn’t help myself’

A fantasy roleplaying fanatic ‘couldn’t resist’ squeezing a woman’s thigh on the Tube because she was so attractive, a court heard.

James Aukett, 37, admitted sexually assaulting the woman on a Northern Line train to Waterloo in October last year.

On arrest he told officers: ‘A female came and sat next to me. I thought she was good looking and attractive wearing black and wearing a short skirt.’

Jonathan Bryan, prosecuting, said: ‘The victim says that she had boarded a Northern line train at Mornington Crescent, she sat down on the seat next to the defendant.

‘Having travelled some distance he suddenly grabbed her on her left thigh, quite high.

‘He squeezed her thigh quite hard, it didn’t hurt but lasted for about two seconds before he let go.

‘He let go suddenly and got off the tube. After a few seconds she decided ‘I’m not having this’ and got off the train to follow him.

‘She followed him and shouted ‘that man had just touched me’ and he started to run. She lost sight of him’.

The court heard Aukett boarded a Bakerloo line train but was later detained by police who released footage of him on CCTV.

In police interview, he told officers an ‘attractive and good looking woman’ sat next to him.

‘He said he kept looking at her and when they got to Waterloo he couldn’t resist touching her thigh’ said Mr Bryan.

‘He said he knew it was wrong’, he continued.

Aukett, who represented himself in the proceedings, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court: ‘I’m very sorry for what I did. It’s definitely a stupid thing to do which I regret.

‘The reason I have chosen not to have legal representation is because I know I have done something wrong. I want to be honest about it. I’m deeply sorry for what I did.’

Social media posts suggest he enjoyed attending conventions for the ‘Fighting Fantasy’ gamebook series in the weeks before the attack.

The book series was created more than 30 years ago by Games Workshop founders Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the latter of whom Aukett boasts as a friend on Facebook.

Aukett, of  Lynton Avenue, North Finchley, north London, admitted one count of sexual assault on a female.

He was handed a community order with the requirements of completing 30 days of rehabilitation activity.

Aukett is also banned from using the London Underground for three months.

He was ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85.