12 Dec Concerns for the safety of TFL workers after man is arrested for assault
By Hannah Turner
In 2015, it was reported by the BBC that assaults on London Underground workers had risen by 44% since 2009. Now, it appears that fears for the safety of our TFL workers is still very much present.
Wayne Ludlow was sentenced today in the City of London Magistrates’ court after he assaulted two members of the Travel for London team on the 14th August 2017.
43-year old Ludlow became violent towards tube workers Mr Jabber and Mr Carmichael at Shepherd’s Bush station, after they informed him that his travel ticket was invalid. Ludlow grabbed Mr Jabber’s arm firmly and pushed him with aggression. Carmichael then intervened, only for Mr Ludlow to push the TFL worker’s chest with great force.
On the day of Ludlow’s trial, he was found guilty. The defence Solicitor, Rebecca Jefferson, argued that Mr Ludlow apologised for his actions after he was arrested, claiming it was completely out of his character and blamed it on the fact that he’d consumed alcohol that day. Jefferson also argued that, “Although Mr Ludlow has a terrible record, it does not contain any previous assault offences.”
The offender had been a drug addict for 27 years but has been clean for the past year, his troubled past has lead him to be currently homeless. Magistrates sentenced Mr Ludlow to pay a fine and compensation to the victims. A total of £284 including £50 compensation to each TFL worker.
