Dog chain attacker from Dagenham gets suspended sentence for ‘vicious assault’

A man who attacked a fellow tube passenger, using a dog chain to inflict injury, has been given a suspended sentence.

Johnny Harmel got into an argument with another passenger after boarding a District line train at Dagenham East station with two friends.

This led to Harmel to attack his victim with a dog chain he was carrying, repeatedly hitting the 25-year-old man over the head before dragging him to the floor and continuing the assault.

The victim suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital the same day as the attack on the evening of November 3 last year.

Harmel, 19, of Rookery Crescent, Dagenham, was identified on CCTV and his image circulated on police intelligence systems, which led to his arrest.

He received a nine month sentence suspended for 18 months and was given a 28 day supervision requirement at Snaresbrook Crown Court on March 22.

Investigating officer DC Paul Miller, said after sentencing: “This was a vicious assault that left the victim needing hospital treatment.”

“BTP takes violent crime very seriously and anyone caught carrying a weapon on the railway network will be arrested and prosecuted.

“Incidents such as this are thankfully very rare on the London Underground network and the chances of becoming a victim are very slim, but when they do happen, BTP takes them very seriously and will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”