Vauxhall Station
(Picture: Nick Ansell/PA)A man has been sentenced after hurling racist and homophobic abuse at station staff, Transport for London (TfL) has said.
Jonathan Saber was given an eight-week prison sentence by Westminster Magistrates Court, suspended for 18 months, after abusing officers and staff who asked him to fold up his e-scooter in June 2021.
The scooter was blocking the public from using the escalator but Saber refused to comply with officers before issuing a torrent of abuse.
He subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of verbal abuse.
Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport Policing and Community Safety at TfL, said: “This behaviour towards our staff, who were just trying to do their jobs, is completely unacceptable and we're pleased that Jonathan Saber has been brought to justice.”
In separate incidents last year, Agris Grisins was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, and Keia Williamson was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days following the physical assault of Transport, Support and Enforcement officers
Grisins was found guilty of common assault after becoming aggressive and abusive towards officers outside Baker Street station in September 2020.
Williamson was verbally abusive to staff after being asked to comply with face covering regulations in December 2020.
In 2020/21, there were 1,740 offences reported to the police, relating to violence and aggression against TfL employees and the employees of TfL’s operators and contractors.
Of these, nine per cent were physical assaults leading to an injury; 41 per cent were assaults without injury; 50 per cent were public order offences including verbal assaults and threatening behaviour.
