LONDON—A man who pushed a former Eurotunnel chairman onto the tracks of London’s Underground has been convicted of attempted murder.
Paul Crossley, 46, ran up behind 91-year-old Sir Robert Malpas at Marble Arch station in central London and pushed him off the platform in late April this year.
Minutes earlier, Crossley had tried to kill professional sportsman Tobias French at Tottenham Court Road station before jumping onto a train and doing the same thing again at Marble Arch.
Crossley, who is reportedly a paranoid schizophrenic, told police after he was arrested that he “didn’t get much sleep last night,” according to the Evening Standard.
He was convicted of attempted murder on Oct. 5. He denied the charges.
The attack on French came just after 3 p.m. as he was waiting for a train on April 27.
“I heard the sound of quick footsteps behind me. I then felt two hands behind on my upper back and then an aggressive push towards the Tube tracks when the Tube was no more than 10 meters away,” he said, the Evening Standard reported.
Prosecutor Benjamin Aina QC reportedly told the court, “Mr. French stumbled forwards slightly but was able to remain standing.
“Mr. French started to turn to face his attacker and felt another push to his upper body pushing him towards the tracks again.”
Pacing Up and Down
Crossley then got on a train and went three stops west to Marble Arch, after which he was seen pacing up and down the platform.
Just one minute before a train was due to arrive, Crossley ran up and pushed Malpas off the platform.
“I felt myself flying over the tracks and landing on the rails,” Malpas said. “I have absolutely no idea why anyone I know would do this.”
Malpas sustained a fractured pelvis and a head wound but was pulled off the tracks by French teacher Riyad El Hussani.
Al Hussani told the court, “People were screaming at me to get up. I then looked over my left shoulder and could see and hear a train. The danger then kicked in.”
Member of the public restrained Crossley on the platform while Malpas was rescued.
Crossley told the court he had been diagnosed with mental health issues since he was a teenager. He pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding but this was not accepted by the prosecution.
Crossley will be sentenced after a full medical report has been written on him.
