Man jailed for violently attacking three passengers with a hammer – London Underground

A man who violently attacked three passengers with a hammer in a shocking and unprovoked attack on the London Underground has been jailed.

Jamal Walker, 19, and of Elizabeth Way, Harlow, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on 6 May where he pleaded guilty to Grievous Bodily Harm with intent, Grievous Bodily Harm without intent, attempted Grievous Bodily Harm with intent, and possession of an offensive weapon.

This week (22 June), the judge sentenced him to twelve years in prison, with an extended licence period of five years.

On Thursday 29 October 2020 Walker boarded a Southbound Victoria Line train at Walthamstow Central and as the train left Tottenham Hale, stood up with his hand in his bag and began to circle the hand pole in the middle of the train.

The court heard he took the hammer from his bag and launched a vicious and sustained attack on two men, hitting one over the head repeatedly with the hammer and attempting to strike the other.

Walker then went to leave the train at Seven Sisters, encountering his third victim who was stood waiting to board. He struck him across the head with the hammer, before then returning to the train and chasing his first two victims through the carriage.

Terrified passengers fled the carriage, and Walker left the station discarding the hammer and a screwdriver on the platform on his way out.

The first victim suffered lacerations and a fractured skull, spending ten days in hospital, and the third victim also received treatment in hospital for a head wound. The second victim suffered minor injuries which did not require hospital treatment.

Walker was arrested at his home address a week later, having being identified through forensic enquiries on a carton of apple juice he left at the scene, along with the discarded weapons.

In his police interview, Walker couldn’t give any explanation as to why he attacked the men other than that he was “stressed” during the day.

Detective Inspector Gary Pinner said: “This was one of the most shocking and senseless acts of violence I have come across in my entire career, and it was inflicted on three innocent men without any provocation.

“Walker is clearly an incredibly dangerous individual, and it is only through luck that his victims weren’t more seriously injured.

“While this was a truly horrifying experience for them, I’d like to reassure the public that incidents like this are thankfully extremely rare on the railway network.

“We are also lucky to police a CCTV rich environment which captured the incident in its entirety and proved invaluable in helping to bring Walker to justice. I am relieved to know he’ll now be spending the foreseeable future behind bars.”