Man looked like 'comic villain' during alleged London Underground attacks

A man looked like “a comical villain with a robotic gait” when he allegedly attacked three people at as many London Underground stations, a court heard.

Donovan Kenlyn, 39, punched tube passenger Samer Jawad at Baker Street tube station in October 2022, an Old Bailey jury was told.

Minutes later, Kenlyn got off a train at Finchley Road station and knocked Angel Cambeiro onto the tracks, narrowly missing the live rails, it is claimed.

He then drove to nearby West Hampstead station where he punched a third man, Peter Acton, in the back of the head, it was claimed.

The “wave of violence” at train stations in north-west London lasted around 35 minutes, the court heard on Thursday.

Kenlyn is charged with attempted murder and assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Cambeiro, assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Acton and assault by beating against Mr Jawad.

He admits to being involved in all three incidents but denies the accusations because he suffered from schizophrenia.

In a witness statement read to the court on Friday, Mr Cambeiro said: “I was in the waiting room when I saw a man coming towards me, something was wrong – he was looking at me, he was coming very clearly in my body. direction.

“He looked aggressive – he had an aggressive manner.

“I didn’t say anything, we didn’t exchange words.

“I just remember him clenching his right hand into a fist, I think I thought he was going to hit me.

“He hit me in the face.

“After that, all I remember is being on the train tracks.”

CCTV played to the jury showed Mr Cambeiro walking near the edge of the platform with two Sainsbury's supermarket bags.

The defendant could be seen extending his arm in front of Mr Cambeiro before the complainant fell onto the tracks.

Mr Cambeiro said: “I was struggling to get up, I don't remember the impact, I don't remember the exact moment before I was on the tracks.”

He said he could not move his right arm and bystanders helped him onto the platform.

“I would not have been able to get up from the railway tracks and onto the platform without other members of the public.

“I don’t remember much about his face because it all happened so quickly – I remember his fist more than his face.”

Mr Cambeiro was taken to hospital with a broken arm and dislocated elbow, and on Thursday the court heard he has since required two surgeries.

Jacqueline Hylton was a TfL customer service supervisor and said: “If he had touched the negative or positive rails he would have been killed by the current. »

Minutes later Kenlyn punched Mr Acton in the head at West Hampstead station.

Mr Acton was heading north to meet friends shortly after midday when he spotted Kenlyn, who he thought he saw “a few days ago” at Wembley Park station.

In a witness statement read to the court, Mr Acton said Kenlyn looked like a “comic villain with a robotic gait” and that “this man made me feel uncomfortable, so I decided to keep away from him.”

He moved to the other platform with a billboard between them, but Mr Acton said: “I still felt uneasy and decided there was a southbound train in which I would get on and change (at a later stop).

“As I got into the car I felt a loud thud at the back of my head, to the left of my ear, it felt like I had been hit.”

He fell on the partition separating the seats.

CCTV presented to the jury showed Kenlyn running at the car and then driving away before the doors closed.

He denies the accusations and the trial continues Monday.