A man who spent two months terrorising women on the streets near his home – punching a victim on one occasion – has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Abbas Haidara, 24, of Vivian Comma Close, Finsbury Park, was charged with threatening a number of women as they walked in the area around Seven Sisters Road, Blackstock Road and Roach Street.

Between December 2012 and January 2013, Haidara is said to have approached females, aged 16 to 27, and followed them, shouting abuse, making threats and in one case punching a victim.

He was also charged with threatening women on trains and in stations in Islington and Hackney.

Scared

On one occasion, on December 1, Haidara was at Haggerston Station and aimed a four-minute torrent of abuse at a mother and her one-year-old child who were waiting for a train – leaving the victim scared for her child’s safety.

Finally other commuters got involved and told him to stop.

Pc Nick Loader, of BTP, said: “Haidara preyed on women and his verbal abuse was so threatening they were left fearing for their own safety.”

Pc Adam Crossan, from Islington Police, said: “It is really important that people can go about their day without fear from being shouted at, threatened or even physically assaulted.

“Haidara did this to a number of women over a two-month period and I would like to thank them for their support for the investigation.”

Haidara appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 12 charged with four counts of intentional harassment causing alarm or distress, four counts of common assault and two counts of causing fear and provocation of violence.

He pleaded guilty to all counts and was sectioned.