A man armed with a pair of nunchucks who groped a woman as she walked through a Tube station has avoided jail.
Andrej Novosiolov, 33, walked free from court after he touched the 30-year-old woman "inappropriately" at West Ham station on June 3 this year.
She ran after him in an attempt to take his photograph with her phone before alerting two station security guards as he tried to get away, police said.
Novosiolov then lashed out at the guards as they attempted to stop him.
Police were called and he was arrested for assault. Officers discovered the nunchucks when they searched him.
Novosiolov, of Market Street, East Ham, eventually pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault, assault and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was given a 16 week suspended sentence and ordered to do 90 hours of unpaid work at Thames Magistrates’ Court on August 20.
He was also put on the sex offenders register for five years, and given a 12 month supervision order and a 12 week alcohol treatment programme.
DC Jennifer Brown, who led the investigation for the British Transport Police (BTP), said: “This was understandably an upsetting incident for the victim, and something nobody should have to experience.
"BTP will not tolerate any unwanted sexual behaviour on the rail network and will always fully investigate all incidents that are reported to us.”
