A thug has been jailed after attempting to rob a man at knifepoint when he was asked to stop smoking cannabis on a Crystal Palace train.
John Thomas, 48, ran the point of a blade down his 22-year-old victim’s face before ordering him to remove his shoes, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Thomas also tried to steal his victim’s laptop and phone and attempted to punch him in the face on a Dalston Junction-bound Overground train at Crystal Palace on August 29 last year.
At the time, police said Thomas appeared to be smoking cannabis when he boarded the train at Crystal Palace and became threatening when his victim asked him to stop.
John Thomas
The 22-year-old refused to hand over his possessions and managed to evade a punch thrown by Thomas, who left the train at Sydenham, the court was told.
MORE TOP STORIES:
He was identified by British Transport Police officers following a witness appeal.
Police issued this CCTV image with a witness appeal at the time of the incident
Thomas, currently imprisoned for another offence, was sentenced on Monday to 18 months in prison for attempted robbery, four months for possession of a bladed article and one month for common assault to be served concurrently.
Detective Inspector Simon Collins said: “Thomas subjected his victim to a frightening ordeal, threatening him with a knife.
“Incidents like this are rare and I would like to assure the public that BTP is working hard with our partners in the rail industry to keep passengers safe.
“Violence has no place on the rail network and it is pleasing that Thomas has been brought to account for his actions.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel