A man who tried to kill a “complete stranger” by grabbing her in a bear hug to throw her in front of an oncoming Tube train has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Arthur Hawrylewicz, 42, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder then 22-year-old Maria Osifeso on 29 August last year, as she was on her way to Notting Hill Carnival in London with friends.
Prosecutor Suki Dhadda told Inner London Crown Court the pharmacist had been waiting at the platform of King’s Cross Underground station at around 1.15pm when “she felt arms wrap around her waist in a bear hug-style grip”.
“She was then picked up by someone, her feet left the floor and she was swung to the left, she thought in an attempt to put her on the track or in front of the train which was pulling into the station.”
Ms Osifeso was saved by friends, including Constantinos Spyrou, who got between them and forced Hawrylewicz onto the ground, where the attacker moved like a “fish in a bellyflop movement” before hitting his head on the train and being knocked unconscious.
‘What if?’
In a victim impact statement read in court, Ms Osifeso said she was left “reeling” and wondering “what if?” by the attack.
She said: “What if my friends hadn’t been there? What if my male friend hadn’t jumped in to grab him?
“What if I had been standing closer to the tracks?
“I would most likely be dead and my family mourning the loss of a daughter. It is incredibly traumatic to think how close I came to dying.”
She told the court how the effects have been “profound and long-lasting” and that she now suffers “overwhelming anxiety” when travelling alone on the Tube.
Ms Osifeso added that she is now “hyper-aware” and stands with her back to the wall, holding the railings, or standing at the top of the stairs until she can see the train coming.
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Judge Benedict Kelleher sentenced Hawrylewicz, who lives in Cardiff, to 10 years imprisonment on Monday.
The judge told him he will serve up to two-thirds of the term in custody.
“You attempted to kill a young woman by throwing her in front of a moving train,” he said.
“You had approached your victim, Ms Osifeso, while she was standing with friends on the platform at King’s Cross Underground station.
“She was a complete stranger to you. You tried briefly to speak to her but she ignored you.”
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Defence argued attacker was depressed
Hawrylewicz, a father-of-two from Poland, had worked in the construction industry in the UK for around 15 years and had been in London for work.
His young family had returned to Poland in August 2021 and messages suggested he was “depressed” about his life, the court heard.
He told police he had drunk up to four beers and a third of a litre of vodka before the attack, and thought of taking his own life.
The judge said: “It is clear from the available evidence you intended to kill yourself that day but there is nothing to explain why you chose to try to kill an innocent bystander.”
Defence lawyer Alexia Nicol described her client as a “hardworking family man”, adding he was in a “confused and desperate state” and that he “regrets what happened on that day”.
