A TEENAGER who exposed himself to a woman on a train while drunk has been ordered to pay her £250 in compensation – and his parents have grounded him.

Josh Coombe, 19, of Beech Lea in Blunsdon, pleaded guilty to one charge of exposure last month and returned to court on Monday to face sentencing.

He sat staring at the floor as prosecutor Keith Ballinger explained to Swindon Magistrates Court what the youngster did on December 10.

Mr Ballinger said: “A woman was travelling on the train from Bath to Swindon when she became aware of the defendant, who was with a group of friends in a green fancy dress suit.

“Mr Coombe asked to sit next to her, which she thought was a bit strange because there were lots of other empty seats in the carriage, but she said he could.

“He appeared to be quite drunk - he stumbled down the carriage and there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from him.

“He asked if she had a boyfriend and when she explained that she had a girlfriend, he made a disparaging remark.

“She ignored this comment but he kept telling her to add him on facebook, then grabbed her phone and typed his name into it.

“She told him repeatedly to go away but he leant on her lap and fell asleep – she couldn’t move and felt trapped and uncomfortable.

“After several minutes, he woke up and made a lewd comment about her anatomy.

“A friend of his pulled him away by the trousers and said ‘Did you see this?’

“He pulled his trousers down and Mr Coombe was visibly aroused.

“Mr Coombe held his penis in his hand while walking around the carriage and said he wanted to urinate.”

When the train finally arrived at Swindon, Coombe was taken into custody by police.

Mr Ballinger added: “In interview, he said he was on an all-day Christmas do and had been drinking since 9.30am – he’d had 13 pints, some shots, and some cocaine.

“He had little recollection of the evening but accepted his behaviour and wanted to apologise for the distress he’d caused.”

Mr Ballinger then summarised the victim’s statement which explained how the incident had affected her.

He said: “Public transport is her main way of getting around, sShe struggles to get on buses and trains and has panic attacks and flashbacks when she sees large groups on board.

“She’s very cautious about who she lets sit next to her.

“She has lost a lot of trust and doesn’t feel comfortable around her male colleagues, and is constantly anxious about what they will say and how they will behave.

“She was happy that Mr Coombe accepted what he’d done and showed remorse.”

Gordon Hotson, defending, said: “Mr Coombe is deeply and genuinely remorseful.

“He was out with a group of older men and instead of them looking after him, as he was the baby of the group, they appear to have done everything in their power to shove as much alcohol down his neck as they could.

“That does not excuse his behaviour but it explains how he came to be in such an awful state.

“He'd never taken cocaine before and never will again, he’s horrified by what he did and doesn't want to socialise with that group again.

"He lives with his parents, they have grounded him since the incident, he is not allowed to go out.

“Having been hauled away from the woman by his colleagues, his trousers came adrift and he exposed himself in a way that he is absolutely disgusted by.

“It’s highly unlikely that he'll do anything this foolish again.”

Chairman of the bench Christine Smith mentioned peer pressure as a contributing factor to Coombe’s behaviour and said: “This is an unusual offence with unusual circumstances. “I’ve read several glowing character references, you are of previous good character, and show obvious remorse.

“These circumstances and sitting in that dock are more of a punishment than anything we can dish out from the bench.

“Do you understand how lucky you are not to get a community order and how serious this offence is?”

Coombe nodded.