A knifepoint robber who fist-bumped a victim before snatching his phone and punching him has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. Fabian Pawlowski, of The Drive, Banstead, struck three times across the Tube network between April and May this year, targeting commuters on Metropolitan and Jubilee line trains.
First attack on Metropolitan line
Pawlowski's first offence occurred on April 27 at about 1.40pm on a Metropolitan line train at Harrow-on-the-Hill station. He approached a man, fist-bumped him, and sat opposite before asking to use the victim's phone to make a call. The man reluctantly handed over his device, and Pawlowski then got off the train at Northwick Park.
The victim followed Pawlowski and asked for his phone back. In response, Pawlowski punched him in the face. The victim then backed off after spotting what he believed to be a knife in Pawlowski's fist.
Second and third robberies
Three days later, on April 30, Pawlowski returned to the same station, walked up to a man, and shoved his hand into the victim's jeans pocket. The victim was threatened and, believing he was about to be stabbed, handed over his phone, which was worth over £1,000.
Just over two weeks later, on May 15, Pawlowski approached a man on a Jubilee line train travelling between Canning Town and North Greenwich. He began staring at the victim's phone, became aggressive, and pulled two blades from his pocket. Pawlowski took the phone and left the train.
Arrest and sentencing
Pawlowski was arrested by patrolling British Transport Police (BTP) officers at Stratford station on June 16. He grunted when officers placed him in handcuffs. He later pleaded guilty to the charges in July after BTP presented a file of evidence, including CCTV footage linking him to all three robberies.
On Friday, October 9, Pawlowski was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Harrow Crown Court.
Police response
BTP Detective Constable Olesia Berdova said: “Pawlowski is 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: “Pawlowski’s actions have caused significant distress and fear and I am pleased that he will now spend a substantial amount of time behind bars. BTP has been working hard to reduce the number of robberies across the railway network in recent years, and this case demonstrates that when they do still occur, we will never let up in the fight to take down robbers.”
BTP urged anyone who is a victim of or witness to such offending to report it by texting 61016.
