TWO men who attacked a passenger as he slept on a train have been sentenced to a total of five-and-a-half years in jail.

John Pilime, aged 21, of Pointer Close, Thamesmead, and 22-year-old Jesiah Yee-Mon, of Sun Court, Erith, were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court today (August 13).

The court heard the pair targeted the victim, a 29-year-old man from Harrow, as he returned home from work on August 15, 2008.

Pilime, Yee-Mon and a third man boarded the train at Woolwich Arsenal and approached the victim who was trying to sleep.

Detective Constable Paula Eustace, of British Transport Police’s robbery squad, said: “The trio then launched a completely unprovoked attack on him, punching and kicking him repeatedly before dragging him to the carriage floor and demanding money.”

The attackers left the train at Charlton station after snatching the victim’s wallet.

He was taken to St Thomas’s Hospital in Lambeth where he received treatment for cuts, bruising and swelling to his right eye, and bruising and swelling to his jaw.

Pilime pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and was sentenced to three years in jail.

A jury found Yee-Mon guilty of the same offence at an earlier hearing. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison.

Det Con Eustace added: “I hope the prison sentences handed down to this pair send out a clear message that such unprovoked and wanton violence will not be tolerated by the police or the courts.”

Police are still trying to identify the third man.

Anyone with information should call 0800 40 50 40 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.