On 22 May, Mohamed Kadir, 29, of no fixed address, was sitting in a first-class carriage of a CrossCountry train bound for Birmingham when staff asked to see his ticket. Kadir admitted he did not have one and refused to leave the train, insisting he was “going to Birmingham regardless.”
When a second staff member approached, Kadir became aggressive. After being informed that police were on their way, he exited the train but remained at the station, where the situation quickly escalated.
He grabbed one of the railway workers by the neck and began strangling him, before turning on the female staff member, shouting and swearing at her.
British Transport Police (BTP) officers arrived shortly afterwards and arrested Kadir.
At Derby Crown Court, Kadir was sentenced on 17 October to 16 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of non-fatal strangulation.
Investigating officer PC Simon Cantrill condemned the attack, saying:
“Kadir acted with extreme and unacceptable aggression, violently assaulting a member of rail staff who was only trying to do their job. I’m very pleased to see Kadir imprisoned for his actions, especially as he showed no remorse. There is absolutely no place for violence on the railway network.”
CrossCountry’s Fleet and Safety Director, Chris Light, also welcomed the sentence, stating:
“There is absolutely no place for violence on the railway, and we treat incidents like this with utmost seriousness. Our staff should never be subjected to such aggression simply for doing their job. We are incredibly proud of the bravery and professionalism shown by our team and remain committed to working closely with BTP to ensure the safety of our people and passengers.”
The British Transport Police reaffirmed their commitment to keeping staff and the public safe across the UK’s rail network.
