A man who continued punching and kicking a passenger even after he lay motionless on the ground at a London Underground station has been jailed for three and a half years.
Rikki Holmes, 33, from Croydon, left Ian McQueen with life-threatening injuries including a bleed on the brain and two collapsed lungs following the vicious assault at London Bridge station on 20 August 2023. The attack began after McQueen grabbed Holmes by the collar when he attempted to dodge the fare by barging through a ticket barrier without paying.
Inner London Crown Court heard on 29 January how the confrontation escalated rapidly. Holmes stumbled when McQueen grabbed his collar, prompting him to turn around and punch the bystander in the face. McQueen fell backwards, striking his head on the station floor where he lay motionless.
Rather than stopping, Holmes proceeded to punch and kick McQueen in the face whilst he remained unconscious on the ground. The brutal assault left the victim with a fractured jaw, a broken nose, a fractured rib and two collapsed lungs in addition to the brain bleed. McQueen required a lengthy hospital stay to recover from his injuries.
Transport for London staff alerted police and paramedics attended the scene. Holmes was identified as the attacker following a media appeal and subsequently arrested. British Transport Police officers executed a warrant at his residence in Spring Lane, South Norwood.
During the search of his address, police discovered cannabis, a baton and a pair of nunchucks. Holmes was convicted of grievous bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and having a Class B drug, receiving a sentence of three years and five months imprisonment.
Christopher Pretty, BTP Detective Constable and investigating officer, stated: “What started out as a minor dispute over Holmes’s pushing behind the victim through the ticket barrier then descended into serious violence that left the victim requiring a lengthy stay in hospital.”
The detective noted the psychological impact on McQueen would remain for a very long time and expressed satisfaction that the sentence reflected the gravity of the offence. “Holmes continued his attack even when the victim was unconscious on the ground and posed no threat to him at all,” Pretty stated.
The investigating officer added: “Holmes didn’t co-operate at all during police interviews, but the weight of the evidence we gathered against him, combined with our witness and mobile phone enquiries, meant that we were able to prove his guilt.”
Pretty described the outcome as a great reflection of the investigative team’s work and expressed hope it would help the victim move forward from the traumatic episode. The case demonstrated how quickly disputes at transport hubs can escalate into serious violence, with Holmes’ refusal to pay the fare ultimately resulting in life-changing injuries for an innocent passenger who intervened.
British Transport Police continue to investigate incidents of violence on the transport network, with witness appeals and CCTV footage proving crucial to securing convictions in assault cases.
