In February, Brwa Shorsh, 24, who had been living on the streets of London since arriving in the U.K. in 2019, pushed postman Tadeusz Potoczek onto the tracks of an oncoming southbound Victoria Line train at Oxford Circus station. Shorsh accused Potoczek of giving him a “dirty look” and being “disrespectful” after three women allegedly laughed at him for being homeless.
Shorsh fled the scene but was arrested hours later at Warren Street station after an officer recognized him from CCTV footage.
During Shorsh’s trial on July 31, he admitted to losing his temper at the time and pushing Potoczek onto the tracks out of a desire for “revenge.” Shorsh further described his actions as “scary,” but denied realizing a train was approaching and insisted that he did not mean to take Potoczek’s life.
However, the jury dismissed these justifications. Prosecutors argued that the attack was a “random piece of violence” against a man who had done nothing to provoke it.
In turn, the jury at Inner London Crown Court found him guilty of attempted murder after only 32 minutes of deliberation.
Judge Benedict Kelleher, who presided over the trial, even noted Shorsh’s apparent lack of remorse throughout the proceedings, during which he was even seen at times smiling.
Shorsh has long history of criminal behavior in the U.K.
Based on the court hearings, Shorsh had 12 convictions for 21 offenses, including assaults, anti-social behavior and outraging public decency since arriving in the U.K. in 2019. The Home Office had initiated deportation proceedings against him due to a “pattern of regular serious offending.”
However, Shorsh still delayed his deportation by filing an appeal with the Immigration Tribunal. His appeal was still in progress at the time of the attack on Potoczek.
Under the U.K. law, the Home Secretary is legally obligated to deport non-British and non-Irish criminals, particularly those sentenced to at least 12 months of imprisonment. There are also exceptions and ministerial discretion that allow for deportation if it is “conducive to the public good.”
Shorsh is set to be sentenced on Sept. 26, where he is expected to face a lengthy prison term for his actions and his past record. If the Immigration Tribunal rules in favor of deportation, Shorsh could be sent back to the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, his presumed country of origin, if the region is deemed safe enough by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Head over to Migrants.news for more stories about migrant criminals all over the world.
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