Man wrongly accused of masturbating infront of woman on London bus wins £5,000 payout from Met Police
22 January 2025, 15:51
A man wrongly accused of masturbating at a woman on a London bus has won a £5,000 payout from the Metropolitan Police.
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Brent Naylor from Finsbury Park, North London, claims to have faced a slew of verbal and physical attacks since he was wrongly identified as the suspect sought by police.
The force sent six officers to Mr Naylor's home in north London following an appeal by the Metropolitan Police for information.
The incident, which took place on the 393 bus towards Kentish Town in May 2021, saw a man reveal himself and masturbate in front of the unnamed woman.
Officers later published a CCTV image of the suspect taken from the bus' onboard camera, with the man identified as being over six feet tall and described as ‘chubby’.
Despite the man pictured having notably longer hair than Mr Naylor, police asserted he was still a "viable suspect".
After police arrested him at his home, Mr Naylor, 56, who is also disabled, remained in custody for a total of seven hours before being released without charge by the Met.
But despite his brief stint in a cell, it was claimed neighbours witnessed the arrested, resulting in a barrage of abuse.
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Brent later took legal action against the Met Police, resulting in a £5,000 damages payout from the force.
It was claimed the Met failed to adequately secure vital DNA evidence in the form of seamen from the scene.
The offender in question remains at large.
The Met confirmed it had paid damages to Mr Naylor "without admission of liability".
A spokesman said: "There was no evidence of any officer wrongdoing or misconduct."
