A 61-year-old postman feared he was about to die after being pushed in front of an oncoming Tube train by a complete stranger, a jury has heard.
Brwa Shorsh allegedly shoved Tadeusz Potoczek onto the tracks at Oxford Circus station in an act of ‘shocking and random violence’, Inner London Crown Court was told.
The 24-year-old, who denies attempted murder and attempted grievous bodily harm, later claimed he had been given a dirty look by the complainant and acted because he felt disrespected.
The court heard that Mr Potoczek was only saved because the driver of the incoming train spotted him and his bright red Royal Mail postman’s jacket in his path and hit the emergency brake.
Mr Potoczek, who missed the electrified rail when he landed on the track, was later helped up from the tracks by a passer-by who rushed to help after seeing him fall.
The incident happened at Oxford Circus Tube station on February 3 this year (stock image)
The incident happened on the southbound Victoria line platform at the station at around 3pm on February 3 this year.
Mr Potoczek told the jury he was going home from work when ‘somebody stood up sharply’ and then ‘he threw me’.
Mr Potoczek, who said he had felt some force on his left arm, told the court: ‘I recognise I’m lucky because I (went) quite deep (on to the track).
‘I did not break anything and then I saw the lights.’
The court heard he could have been killed but did not fall on to the electrified rail and a passer-by Oliver Matthews, whom Mr Potoczek calls his ‘angel’, rushed to help pull him off the track.
Speaking from behind a screen in court on Monday, Mr Potoczek said: ‘The angel who helped me. I met him today. I say thank you. He held my arm and help me to jump out.’
Shorsh, of no fixed address, who listened to the hearing through a Kurdish interpreter, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted murder and also denied an alternative count of attempted grievous bodily harm.
The court heard that Shorsh, who says he did not intend for anyone to be hurt, told to police that he had acted because he had been given a dirty look and been disrespected.
Inner London Crown Court (pictured) was told the defendant pushed the postman after being given a dirty look
Mr Potoczek, who said he did ‘nothing’ to provoke Shorsh’s reaction, added: ‘I saw the train when I entered the platform. I tried to get out. Then I felt anxious at that time but when I felt the hand, I felt safe.’
He added that he thought he could ‘lose my life’ as the train approached.
Just before the incident he had noticed Shorsh seemed to be lying down or maybe sleeping on a bench.
He was not moving and did not appear to be getting on or off a train.
In his statement Mr Matthews recalled being on the platform when he saw a man ‘just get up and push’ another person on to the track.
He added: ‘As I looked up and was taking in what happened I noticed a train was coming’.
Then he saw the man on the track ‘desperately scrambling trying to get himself up’ while the alleged attacker ‘was standing there and looking at him’.
Mr Matthews helped the man back on to the platform and then stood between him and his alleged attacker ‘to ensure he did not do anything else,’ his statement added.
The train was travelling at 60kph and two of its eight carriages entered the platform.
Mr Walker, the driver, felt Mr Potoczek had a lucky escape as the lines were live.
In his statement, he said: ‘I was shaken very badly by this.
The court heard that Mr Potoczek was only saved by the quick reactions of the train driver who pulled the emergency brake
‘If he had been on the track a few seconds later he would have been killed.
‘If I had looked away for a few seconds, he would have been killed.’
He added that if it ‘had been four seconds later he would have been killed’.
Earlier prosecutor Sam Barker said ‘there is only one reason you would push someone in front of a train and that is to kill them.’
Mr Barker said that Shorsh ‘without a word of explanation (or) sort of provocation, leapt up and shoved him hard.’
Mr Potoczek fell from the platform but ‘to his horror a train was coming into the station – it was actually at the mouth of the entrance and because he stayed on his feet and (with) the quick-thinking member of the public (there) he was pulled out.’
The prosecution claim the defendant knew there was a train coming and Shorsh was heard shouting ‘what the f… are you doing here?’
Shorsh was arrested later that afternoon at Warren Street station and told officers during his police interview he had pushed Mr Potoczek on to the track because ‘the man had given him a dirty look and he felt disrespect’, the court heard.
Mr Barker added ‘he said he knew the rail was electrified and that it was extremely dangerous’ but that ‘disrespecting him was dangerous’.
The court heard Shorsh had felt that three women had previously been rude to him when he thought that Mr Potoczek had ‘given him a look’.
Mr Barker added that is ‘what is so frightening’ as the prosecution say that Mr Potoczek ‘did not look at him whatsoever, it is the stuff of nightmares and he just felt himself being pushed in front of a train’.
The trial continues today.
