14 months imprisonment after slapping tube employee
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A 19-year-old woman has been jailed for 14 months after she slapped a member of staff in the face and threatened her with a knife at Acton Town Underground station.
Siti Awled of District Road, Wembley, was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on 26 May after earlier pleading guilty to affray, possession of an offensive weapon and two counts of common assault.
Siti Awled
On 9 October 2016, Awled arrived the station with two friends. She had been speaking on the phone and threatening the person she was speaking to about how she was going to kill them and swearing. The group tried to make their way to the platform by barging through the barrier using one oyster card between them.
A member of staff approached them and asked the remaining two to buy tickets and to stop swearing as there were children present. Awled became abusive and threatened the member of staff and slapped her in the face. One of Awled’s friends tried to grab her to stop her and was also slapped in the face.
Awled then walked away, and as she did, staff asked her again to leave the station. She turned around to face staff members and waved a kitchen knife at them. Her friend jumped again in to help the member of staff who Awled was threatening to stab and kill. Awled was wrestled down to the platform by her friends while staff retreated to the office.
Awled eventually left the station and discarded the knife in a garden; she was arrested on a nearby road by BTP firearms officers.
DC Ross McAlpine said: “Everyone has the right to travel and work in a safe environment without fear or intimidation. This was a particular frightening experience for the staff who were working at the station at the time.
“I hope Awled takes the time to reflect upon her actions and realises that behaviour like this will never be tolerated on the rail network and police officer will always do everything they can to ensure that people are not only safe where they work and travel, but that also feel safe.”
June 1, 2017
