Tube Pusher Paul Crossley Who Hurled 91-Year-Old Onto Rails Is Jailed

A paranoid schizophrenic who hurled a 91-year-old man onto the rails of a London underground train has been jailed. 

Paul Crossley, who also tried to push another commuter into the path of an oncoming tube, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 12 years for two counts of attempted murder at the Old Bailey. 

The 47-year-old was chased and detained by members of the public shortly after the incidents, which happened just moments apart on April 27 last year. 

Tobias French was making his way home when Crossley tried to push him onto the rails at Tottenham Court Road station.

French managed to fight Crossley off – prompting the attacker to flee the scene on the next Central Line train.

Just a little later, Crossley shoved 91-year-old Sir Robert Malpas onto the rails at Marble Arch.

Sir Robert, who was heading to Oxford Circus after a pensioners’ lunch, was rescued by teacher Riyad El Hussani, who leapt from the platform just one minute before the next train was due to arrive.

The industrialist, who was knighted by the Queen in 1998, suffered a broken pelvis and a cut to the head which needed 12 stitches.

Speaking to the BBC, French said: “I was on my way home. I’d just missed the train before and I was just waiting on the platform – I just felt two hands on my back as someone pushed me towards the tracks.

“I turned around and he tried to push me again so I just pushed him to the floor and by the time I came to really after shock he was already on the tube going the other way.”

He continued: “When I heard he had attacked a second person, incredible guilt set in, because I had the opportunity to stop him at the time.”

He added: “I do think I should have stopped him or done more.”

Describing Crossley’s trial, he said: “I got to see the CCTV for the first time in the court room.

“Watching my family react was very haunting for me and it really nailed home how serious and how dangerous the situation was and how close I was to being pushed in front of that train.”

He added: “One message I would send to everyone else is just make sure you are aware of what’s going on around you and not be looking at your phones when you’re on the edge of the platform.”

The British Transport Police said: “We could easily have been dealing with a double murder investigation had it not been for the brave actions of the public who stepped in.”

Crossley, of Leyton, east London, said at the trial he picked his victims at random and did not mean to kill them.

He told jurors he had taken £600 worth of crack cocaine the day before the attack and began feeling paranoid as he made his way to the West End to get coffee.

Jurors rejected his defence and found him guilty of two charges of attempted murder.