Shane Singh, 30, says an epileptic seizure caused by a brain tumour led him to attack two men at Ealing Broadway station, leaving him with a criminal record and deep humiliation.
Conviction and seizure
On June 17, 2017, Shane was convicted of trespassing on the track at Ealing Broadway station and fined £1,000. The incident occurred after a seizure on May 27, 2017, when he tried to grab a phone from a passenger, put him in a headlock, and fought off another man. When police arrived, he jumped onto the electrical track and crossed to the opposing platform.
Shane claims he had no control due to tuberous sclerosis complex, a rare drug-resistant epilepsy caused by a brain tumour he has had since birth. He was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 12. “I get these absent-minded seizures, which would mostly be me just standing up, taking things out of my pocket and then chucking them on the floor,” he said.
Impact and aftermath
Charges of common assault were dropped, but the trespassing conviction left him with a criminal record. “I’m scared to use [public transport] because I don’t know if I’m going to have a seizure,” he said. “The whole thing has caused so much post-traumatic stress, and I’m really sorry for the pain I caused the victims. But it wasn’t my fault.”
Eleven years later, Shane lives in Hayes with 24-hour care. He still suffers frequent seizures; two months ago, he had 10 in quick succession, leading to post-seizure anger and violence toward a nurse while unconscious. “Epilepsy has ruined my life, it’s made me so depressed,” he said. “I still think about what happened at Ealing Broadway station every week.”
