A self-confessed pervert has been jailed again after masturbating in front of a mother and her baby on a bus. Bobby Garande, 30, one of London’s most prolific flashers, was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, June 20.
Garande, who has 10 previous convictions for exposing himself on public transport, claimed that bus vibrations gave him an erection, prompting his lewd behaviour. Despite multiple prison sentences and a court order banning him from touching his chest or genitals and making eye contact with women on public transport, Garande reoffended.
On March 22, Garande boarded a bus in Lewisham, sat down, and began rubbing his chest before touching his genitals over his trousers. He then exposed himself and masturbated while staring at a woman with her infant baby. When the woman moved, Garande followed her to another seat and continued his actions.
Prosecutor Sarah O’Kane told the court that the woman noticed Garande’s “blank stare” and intense gaze. He briefly stopped when a group of males came down from the upper deck, indicating he knew his behaviour was wrong, but resumed his actions shortly after.
Garande then got off the bus at the same stop as the terrified woman, who had to ask a passerby to walk her home. Upon reaching home, she found Garande on the sex offender’s database and reported him to the police. In her victim impact statement, she expressed feeling sick and angry and now fears going out alone.
When arrested, Garande told police, “I keep doing this, there’s a reason I keep doing this,” explaining that medication given by the NHS left him unable to get an erection, and bus vibrations helped him achieve one. He later pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and breaching a criminal behaviour order.
This incident marks Garande’s 10th conviction for indecent exposure. In September 2020, he was jailed for 16 weeks for exposing himself to a woman on the number 50 bus from Croydon to Norbury, while two children were sitting opposite him. In November 2021, he fondled himself on a train to Bromley South station, peering through a gap in the seats at an elderly woman, who reported him to security. He was jailed for 27 months for this offence.
While in prison, Garande was prosecuted for another offence from October 2021, where he spent 15 minutes masturbating and touching his nipples while staring at a woman on a train from Blackfriars. He received an additional 26-week sentence for this crime.
Harriet Palfreman, defending Garande, stated that her client is deeply remorseful and his behaviour stems from a mental health disorder. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2016 after a period of homelessness, Garande’s impulsive actions increase with declines in his mental health. Despite efforts to secure accommodation and seek employment, he reoffended.
Judge Steven Kovats KC acknowledged Garande’s mental health issues but emphasized that the offence was deliberate. He sentenced Garande to 16 months in prison and imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Garande’s repeated offences highlight the ongoing challenges in managing individuals with severe mental health disorders and ensuring public safety on public transport.
