Brwa Shorsh, 24, has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of eight years, after being found guilty of attempted murder for pushing postman Tadeusz Potoczek, 61, onto the tracks at Oxford Circus Tube station. The incident, which occurred on 3 February, saw Mr Potoczek narrowly avoid electrocution by the live rail and an approaching train.
CCTV footage from the southbound Victoria Line platform captured the terrifying moment Shorsh shoved the postman off the platform. A passerby, who has been awarded £1,000 by the judge, courageously leaped into action, helping Mr. Potoczek off the tracks just in time.
Shorsh, a Kurdish migrant who testified through an interpreter, claimed he was angry because he believed the postman had given him a “dirty look.” The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) condemned the act, saying it was “impossible to imagine anything that could ever justify pushing anyone in front of a train like that.”
Maxine Jarrousse-Jones of the CPS praised the victim’s quick thinking and the heroism of the passerby, as well as the train driver’s swift reaction in halting the train, which collectively saved Mr. Potoczek’s life.
Detective Chief Inspector Sam Painter added: “Shorsh is an extremely dangerous individual who is thankfully now off the streets and behind bars. We hope this provides some comfort and closure to his victim as he continues his recovery from this traumatic event.”
Shorsh’s actions have shocked commuters, and his sentencing serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of violence in public spaces.
