A “shocked” Monday morning tube commuter was the victim of ‘ipod rage’ when repeatedly hit by a flurry of punches after politely asking a fellow-passenger to turn his loud music down.
Passengers were visibly upset by the loud relentless beat enjoyed by 33 year-old Troy Okwuosa, who flipped when tapped on the shoulder by product marketing manager Trevor Holt, 47.
Okwuosa, (pic.l.) of Devonport Road, Hammersmith, West London was convicted of assaulting Mr. Holt on the packed Circle Line train between Baker Street and Great Portland Street stations on December 7, last year.
“I was shocked, flabbergasted that a polite request to turn down loud and excessive music was met with such a reaction,” Mr. Holt (pic.r.) told City of London Magistrates’ Court.
“I took it on myself to tap the man on the shoulder,” said Mr. Holt, employed by ViewSonic Europe Ltd. at the City’s Tower 42.
“He took his earphone out of his ear, sneered at me and muttered: ‘Do you want to touch me again?’
“When I touched him on the shoulder the second time he exploded in rage and punched me five times, knocking my glasses off with the first punch.
“The force he was using to punch me was considerable,” added Berkshire commuter Mr. Holt who was left with bruising to his face and back.
“The carriage was full of passengers, we were shoulder to shoulder and the man asked: ‘Do you want some more?’
“It was overwhelming and I was surprised that I was being attacked on my Monday morning commute to work.”
Fellow-passenger engineer Geoffrey Hardwick, 54 agreed the noise was annoying. “There was loud music, very loud music from an ipod. It was one of those beats that gets on your nerves. It was so loud
“I think people are frightened to touch people to turn their music down, but I was thinking if I should ask the assailant to turn the noise down because it was bothering everyone.
“The assailant started to attack, flailing punches and the victim tried to defend himself by cowing down and was caught in the face.
“He said: ‘That’s what you get if you touch me. Do you want some more?”
“The punches were totally out of control, just flailing in. I was shocked and surprised,” added Mr. Hardwick. “He was throwing his whole weight into the guy.
“It was frightening because now you don’t feel confident asking someone to turn their music down.
“If the other passenger had not stopped the fight the victim would have been very badly hurt. He wanted to go back and do some more.”
T.V. editor James Caldwell, who jumped between the defendant and victim said: “The punches were very strong, they would hurt and they were to the head and body.”
Okwuosa was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, including 100 hours community service work and was ordered to pay £200 costs and £140 compensation to Mr. Holt.
35 comments:
I'll be sure not to get on the Tube for the Monday morning commute! :D
What about the aspect of self defense ? you should not touch people if they do not want to be touch. Particularly it they tell you not to!
This is clearly self defense. What was nothing more than a 'push and a shove' on a train has now been made to sound like GBH!.Why is there no mention of injury? Surely if he had been attacked like he said he had been attacked "throwing his whole weight into the guy" He would have considerable injury.But there is no mention of this.You should not always believe what you read in the paper.As you were not there. From what I have read it appears that you only have one sided statement of what occurred.
Whether you agree or not Trevor Holt committed a crime of assault and public-disorder, He caused distress and alarm, and fear.I was threatened by his behaviour. I mean who approaches people on public trains and orders them to turn off there music and go as far as to assault them? When there is a culture of Ipod use within the underground? Holt is clearly a Racist! I pleaded not guilty as I believe I acted in self- defence by pushing him away from me. I did not punch him five times as he states this is unrealistic as there was no evidence of him sustaining injuries. Nor any witness statements depicting injuries. I saw him snap his own glasses before stepping of the train.I view this as trying to exaggerate the situation.
I was not in a fit of rage.The Ipod really had no bearing over my emotions. My concern was only to protect myself and allow space between us.It was the unlawful force that was applied upon me by Trevor Holt which was without my consent that provoked me to react in a need to protect myself.I was not playing my music loud I wore earphones there is no recorded complaints from the public that I caused public noise nusiance, and there is no Mp3 sound level resrictions utilised in the underground. I believe I was a target by Mr Holt because I was a single black male upon a carriage of white commuters. And Mr Holt(who isn't from London) was probably entertaining the fantasy of Affray within an underground carriage.Holt should mind his own business! If you don't like the music you should walk away. He has not right to assault and order paying passengers to do anything. Its not his job.
I have lodged a court appeal against the conviction and sentence. I request that you update the article and remove my name from the uploaded article
cough! cough!
That sounds like provocation! You shouldn't touch people you don't know,particularly after you have been warned not to.Listening to music is not anti-social behaviour.Otherwise they would have made a law against it.
You shouldn,t go around groping people you don't know. I would be alarmed if someone wanted to get touchy feely with me on a train.
What you mean is that there is no medical or witness evidence to support his claim that he sustained injuries.If there is no evidence of injury then it can be concluded that reasonable force was used.
We need to protect single black men from racists! Who are exploiting the fact that he may not have witnesses.
The underground is not a library.
I agree. We need to change the laws to protect single black men. Who may be targeted by racist yobs! There are alot of single black men walking around by themselves.
The law isn't always right! look at how Stephen Lawrence's murder case was handled.
There are two reactions to stress Flight or Fight!
Article from 'Are we Born Racist'"...Indeed, a great deal of recent research has shown how our knee-jerk biases are directed toward members of other races.
Research by New York University psychologist Elizabeth Phelps and her colleagues has found that even dull yearbook photographs can trigger a strong neural response. When white men in their study briefly saw pictures of unfamiliar black male faces, their brain activity spiked in a region known as the amygdala, which is involved in feelings of vigilance generally, and in the fear response specifically; the amygdala lights up when we encounter people or events we judge threatening. Several other labs, including my own, have uncovered a similar link between amygdala activity and white people’s perceptions of black faces." Vanessa Bush
Unless you were there you really shouldn't comment. As you do not know what happened.
To thump someone on the shoulder and order them to turn of their music. And then to repeat this again. Is ruled in law as common assault. To push someone away when there is nowhere to flee from someone who does this to you is self-defence its that simply. Your very ignorant! and you should learn the laws on self-defence.
Amazing how someone convicted of assault can try and turn the situation around by desperately trying to play the race card. A petulant reaction to being asked to turn down an iPod sounds like the behaviour of a angry teenager with a chip of their shoulder, not that of a 33 yr old man...grow up idiot!
Listen TWIT! There is a difference between asking someone to turn their music down and Pushing them to get them too.I don't like being pushed around. I suppose if it had been a beautiful woman I might not have minded! Noting to do with the Ipod! SIMPLE KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!!!! KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF!!!!
A court of law has found you guilty. There was a whole tube carriage full of potential witnesses, no one else agrees with your assertions on Trevor Holt being 'clearly a racist', I have witnessed and asked several people to keep their music down. It is a tfl policy to "Ensure you are the only person that can hear your music", a "single black male" myself, I find your behaviour at the incident, your refusal to plead guilty and this string of rubbish on this internet site disgusting. Grow up, you are a disgrace.
Do i have to keep repeating myself! You weren't there so i don't know how can you comment from any standpoint? It is against the law to wilfully use force upon an individual without their consent. Holt already confesses to doing this twice. Its not his job to go around telling passengers to turn off their music. I didnt have a ghetto blaster on the tube, this is sound emitted from earphones! a whole tube of passengers, holt only had one male witness. I think everyone including all the ladies there understood I was acting in self defence. The judicial system and police are unfortunately and through there own admission institutionally racist. They have got it wrong. I could have very easily pressed a counter allegation for assault except for some ruling in law which prevents pressing charges for assault outside a 6 months deadline. Guess when the police came round to ask questions? 8 months later! Preventing me from pressing a counter allegation off assault by Holt. I do not go around pushing people telling them what to do! And as a paying passenger I don't expect people to do that to me...
I was not there so I am not commenting from a standpoint...but the people that were there ie. witnesses supported Mr Holt and not you. There is a possibility that everyone else in the carriage was racist and they ganged up on you for that reason, but a much more feasible theory is that they wanted to make a stand against a violent thug. Did you enjoy community service?
The agression you displayed on that tube carriage is apparent in your attitude on this. You should have been sentenced to anger management classes too...
Coming to a street corner near you......to sweep it :D
"everyone including all the ladies there understood I was acting in self defence"..... why didn't these ladies come to the witness stand?. Has anyone backed up your story?
Cowards and Whimps like you who are too afraid to reveal themselves.
should continue hiding and stay away from the Knights and Warriors!
Community Service? I didn't do 1 hour!haha
Knights and warriors? You're an architectural assistant.......
YOU ARE ANONYMOUS TOO!!!.........
Troy Okwuoso you need some help, please go and find it. I will pray for you this evening. God Bless.
I would normally say thank you. But i suggest you get on with your own life and stop interfering in other peoples life.
Your a Coward! And I am sure you and Holt would make good friends!
I guess someone like that crying out for attention, wouldn't mind you interfering.
I don't have Holt's Contact details im afraid.
I'm no coward, if you had attacked me on the tube you would properly understand the legality surrounding 'self-defence'. Plenty of time for you to read up on that area of law whilst you are convalescing after a serious beat down!
Also Troy you knight and warrior. There is nothing big or clever about beating someone up half your size who is nearly 50. Who is the real coward here?
Agreed...
The only A-Hole here is the convicted criminal Troy Okwuoso.....
Mr Okwuosa, you know you should not be commenting on our case in this way. I find the insults and racist accusations on this website incredibly hard to take from the man convicting on assaulting me. It seems that you are not content with beating me up for no good reason but now you want to slander my good name. You will be hearing from my solicitor!
Why CANT YOU STOP BOTHERING ME DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM! P-OFF!
Troy you p-off you fat lump!
Troy your a phDICKHEAD! what? Say suttin!
Troy Okwouso your criminal record is well and truly deserved.....
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