Romanian teen jailed for death of builder in row over standing on ‘wrong’ side of escalator

A ROMANIAN teenager who killed a hod carrier with a knockout punch after a rush hour railway escalator row was jailed for less than three years today.

The 17-year-old boy attacked builder John Francis Breen, 53, after the victim objected to him and his friends blocking his path down the moving stairs at Stratford overground station in east London.

Mr Breen, who was returning home from work for Laing O'Rourke, is believed to have been frustrated the youths were standing on the left hand side, the Old Bailey heard.

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The hod carrier reacted to 'teasing' by throwing the first punch, and was then set upon by the group.

As he was helped to his feet by other commuters, the 17 year-old punched him in the face, causing him to fall backwards and crack his head on the floor.

Mr Breen suffered fatal head injuries after the assault on 27 October and died in hospital the following day.

The 17 year old, who cannot be named because of his age but has previous convictions for theft in the UK, was originally charged with murder but the prosecution accepted his plea of guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Judge Mark Lucraft QC said: "The punch you threw is described as extremely forceful or a knockout punch. Mr Breen had no opportunity to defend himself.

"This was violence in public in an area packed with people. You ran off without trying to assist Mr Breen who was obviously seriously injured."

The judge said he reduced the sentence from five years and six months to two years nine months because of the plea and the fact the youth was 16 at the time of the killing.

Friends of the victim shouted from the gallery 'Call that f***ing justice?' as the boy was taken down to the cells.

A 15 year-old boy admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his part in the initial attack and was sentenced to a referral order for 12 months.

Both the family of John Breen and the parents of the 17 year-old were in court for the sentencing.
The teenagers had been hanging around in Westfield Shopping Centre on the afternoon of 27 October last year.

Prosecutor Mukul Chawla, QC, said the group entered the station and headed through the barriers to the escalators around 20 seconds before Mr Breen.

He said: "They stood on the left hand side on which passengers generally walked down.

"There was some sort verbal exchange between Mr Breen and one or more of the group.

"Two of the witnesses recall one or more of the group teasing or winding up Mr Breen.

"Whether he was frustrated by not being able to descend the escalator as he wanted, that is impossible to say."

Mr Chawla said something caused Mr Breen to turn and punch the 17 year-old after they got off the escalator.

Mr Breen was then punched and kicked by at least two of the group of youths, causing him to fall to the ground.

He was able to get to his feet and appeared to be 'shaky or dazed' before the 17 year-old walked up to carry out the fatal attack.

Mr Chawla said the 17 year-old 'punched Mr Breen in the face with considerable force such that he fell immediately to the ground.

"His head struck the ground with such force that many of the eyewitnesses described hearing a distinctive crack or thud sound," he said.

"It was immediately apparent that Mr Breen was seriously injured and was bleeding copiously from a head injury."

A post mortem found Mr Breen had suffered three fractures to the base of the skull as a result of his head hitting the floor.

The 17-year-old fled the scene but later admitted punching Mr Breen, claiming he acted in self defence and did not intend to cause serious harm.

He also told officers he was sorry if his actions caused the death of Mr Breen.

Mr Breen's sister Angela Adams said in a victim impact statement read out in court: "John Breen was a wonderful son, brother and uncle.

"This senseless act has caused shockwaves of grief and loss throughout the family. It all seems so wrong. We just want our brother back."

The 17-year-old and 15 year-old, both from Ilford, east London, were both originally charged with murder before pleading guilty to manslaughter and ABH respectively.

Two other boys, aged 14 and 15, were also charged with murder but the prosecution dropped the case against them last December.

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