A Tube passenger who killed a ‘gentle’ commuter with one punch as revenge after he brushed past him on the escalator is set to serve less than six years in jail.
Rakeem Miles, 23, grabbed AI engineer Samuel Winter, 28, from behind and ripped his top at Southwark underground station at 9.30pm on August 22 last year.
He then knocked him out with a powerful punch to the head before fleeing the station.
Paramedics attended and performed CPR on Samuel at the tube station, but he died in hospital two days later from a brain injury.
British Transport Police officers traced Miles through his Oyster card and arrested him at a shop near the station the next morning, and this week, he was convicted of manslaughter at Inner London Crown Court after pleading guilty.
Now, you’d think a manslaughter conviction after killing someone with a punch to the head would come with a substantial prison sentence, but Rakeem Miles will serve just 5-and-a-half years before he is eligible for parole.
Judge Benedict Kelleher sentenced the killer to eight years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years. If he remains on his best behaviour behind bars for just 5.5 years, he could be out before his 30th birthday. Meanwhile, victim Samuel will never get the chance to even reach 30.
Both men had been travelling on the same eastbound Jubilee Line train but had no interaction in the lead-up to the attack. Samuel got off the train and walked up the escalator, brushing past Miles as he did so.
As he continued through the barrier, Miles followed him while shouting abuse. He caught up to him, ripped his top as he spun him around to face him, and then punched him once in the head before leaving him collapsed on the stairs.
Just a completely senseless act of violence on a guy who, by all accounts, was a truly top bloke. Aside from working in AI, Samuel Winter was a qualified physiotherapist and a volunteer with several charities. You can tell from his photo that this lad wouldn’t harm a fly. How could someone bring themselves to attack him so brutally, over nothing?
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell, the senior investigating officer, said:
“Though nothing can bring Samuel back, I hope today’s sentencing allows his family some small measure of comfort as they continue to grieve for him.
“Samuel’s family described him as gentle and kind, and he will be sorely missed by all those who love him. We reiterate our requests to give the family privacy at such a difficult time.
“It only took one punch from Miles to end Samuel’s life and forever change the lives of those around him.
“He showed no remorse for his action, leaving Samuel at the station and continuing on with his evening.
“The quick-time and thorough investigation by the teams involved meant Miles was identified and apprehended quickly.
“There is zero tolerance for violence on the railway and I’d like to thank my team for their hard work and determination to secure justice for Samuel’s family.”
Well, ‘zero tolerance’ aside from the p1ss poor sentencing where he’ll be eligible for parole in no time at all. Of course, just because Rakeem Miles will be eligible for parole, it doesn’t mean he’ll get it. But why would that option even be available to him after just 5.5 years? He killed a guy for no reason. Even the 8-year sentence itself seems way too light for what we’re dealing with here.
Sure, he didn’t mean to kill Samuel Winter, but everyone knows how dangerous punches to the head can be. This sentencing hardly sends a message to other thugs out there who would do something similar to you if you commit the mortal sin of brushing past them on the escalator.
Utterly disgraceful, to be honest. Let’s see if Samuel’s family and/or the prosecution seek a harsher punishment, and whether the CPS/judiciary has the balls to do the right thing.
For the knife-wielding thugs who got absolutely battered by pub-goers in Westgate, Wakefield, click HERE.
