A man who carried out a series of violent robberies on the London Underground has been jailed for four and a half years.
Fabian Pawlowski, 22, of The Drive, Banstead, targeted three young men in separate incidents, using threats and violence to steal their mobile phones. He pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and two counts of possession of a bladed article at an earlier hearing.
The attacks
The first robbery took place on April 27, when Pawlowski boarded a Metropolitan line train at Harrow-on-the-Hill station. He sat opposite a man, asked to borrow his phone, and then left the train at Northwick Park. When the victim followed and asked for his phone back, Pawlowski punched him in the face. The victim left after seeing what he believed to be a knife in Pawlowski’s hand.
Three days later, Pawlowski returned to Harrow-on-the-Hill and approached another man, reaching into his pocket and threatening him. Fearing he would be stabbed, the victim allowed Pawlowski to take his phone, valued at more than £1,000.
On May 15, Pawlowski targeted a third man on a Jubilee line train between Canning Town and North Greenwich. He became aggressive, pulled out two blades, and took the man’s phone before leaving the train.
Caught by BTP
Pawlowski was identified through CCTV and intelligence and was arrested by British Transport Police (BTP) officers at Stratford station on June 16.
Detective Constable Olesia Berdova of BTP said Pawlowski was “a serial offender who set out to intimidate his victims, using threatening language as well as a knife to force his victims to hand over their mobile phones”. She added that his actions had caused “significant distress and fear” and she was pleased he would now spend “a substantial amount of time behind bars”.
Read more of our London crime coverage: the King’s Cross £30,000 suitcase theft and the Pitsea Street attempted robbery.
