Sir Robert was miraculously saved by Riyad El Hussani, a French teacher, who jumped on to the tracks and pulled the old man to safety before the train entered the platform. In doing so, El Hussani sustained a burn to his right hand after it came in contact with the electrified track. Sir Robert fractured his pelvis and sustained a gash to the head which required 12 stitches.The incident was captured on CCTV camera and sent shockwaves throughout the community.
Paul Crossley, 46, was found guilty of attempted murder of Sir Robert. In fact, it was found that Crossley had tried to push and kill another passenger, Tobias French, as well moments earlier in a similar fashion. French had been lucky to regain his balance, thanks to the bystanders.
Crossley - who was living in a homeless hostel in east London - had boarded a train from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch, where he pushed Sir Robert, the report pointed out. He was chased and nabbed by the members of the public after his dastardly act.
When the cops interrogated him and asked him why he pushed the two men, Crossley said: "I had no sleep (last night)." He added that he didn't intend to kill them.
Crossley, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when he was 17, admitted he was the man wearing a cap and hood caught on CCTV pushing both men.
He also told jurors he had taken crack cocaine the previous day and began feeling paranoid as he made his way to the West End to get coffee, the report said.
The CCTV footage shows Sir Robert walking along the platform, when suddenly he is violently shoved from behind by Crossley, who has a hood pulled over his cap.
"I felt myself flying over the tracks and landing on the rails. I may have been concussed but only for a very short time. I banged my head on the rails," Sir Robert told the jurors.
His saviour, El Hussani, who had just finished work at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair, said he heard "screams and shouting" before running 20 metres to where Sir Robert lay with his clothes and umbrella covered in blood. "I then jumped straight on to the tracks to save his life," he said in a statement.
Earlier the same day, French had a lucky escape after being pushed by Crossley as he waited for a train.
"There was a train coming in my direction at the time and if I had been pushed in front of it, I'm certain I would have been killed.
"I was fortunate I was quick to defend myself along with help from a member of the public," French said.
It could have been a 'double murder' probe.
Senior investigating officer detective inspector Darren Gough was quoted as saying in the report: "This was a particularly shocking incident and the victims, in this case, were extremely lucky.
"We could have easily been dealing with a double murder investigation had it not been for the brave actions of the public who stepped in and restrained Crossley, and assisted the victims.
"I would like to remind the public that this type of incident is very rare and millions of journeys are made across the Underground without incident."
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