London station turned into scene from wild west with knives and guns drawn

Footage shows the chaotic moment a gang of teenagers tried to kill a man in at an east London Overground station.

The CCTV footage shows hooded teenagers fighting with knives and guns just metres from other passengers at Hackney Central Railway Station last year as they tried to target a 20-year-old man.

A 64-year-old woman was also caught in the clash on March 1, 2023, with the target using her as a human shield inside a lift she had tried to take cover in while an attacker shot into it.

Just moments before, she had tried to avoid a slashing knife in the tiny lift used by one of the attackers against the man as he was stabbed.

The man defended himself by using his own knife, and he managed to push one of the attackers, Hanzell Greenaway, out of the lift, but he was stabbed again.

As the man got into the lift again, two other teenagers approached – Elisandro Pinto Alves carrying a knife slashing at him and Jaheim Thomas with a handgun.

The attackers fled the scene on bikes, but the incident was caught on CCTV, and officers later used footage, mobile phone data and vehicle tracking to trace the movements of Pinto Alves, Greenaway and Thomas between London, Dunstable and Folkestone.

When armed officers and the emergency services attended, they found the victim with life-threatening injuries, including multiple cut wounds and a gunshot to the leg.

The 64-year-old bystander was not physically injured, and the victim survived the attack.

Now four teenagers have been sentenced to a total of 77 years in prison after the shocking incident.

Marvin Edokpolo, 19, of Dalston Lane, Hackney, arranged for the attack after becoming aware that the victim was at the station. He called the others from a McDonald’s nearby.

Edokpolo was sentenced to a total of 22 years and three months. Hanzell Greenaway, 18, of Munro Way, Hackney, and Jaheim Thomas, 18, of Cassland Road, Hackney were both sentenced to a total of 19 years. Elisandro Pinto Alves, 18, of Overbury Street, Hackney, was sentenced for a total of 17 years.

DI Paul Attwell said: ‘This was a shocking attack in broad daylight that was fortunate not to be fatal, not only to the intended victim but the innocent witness in the lift.

‘Thankfully, incidents of violence involving firearms on the rail network are extremely rare, but when they do occur we will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.

‘This was a highly complex investigation and I thank those at BTP who worked tirelessly to build this case. This outcome reflects their hard work and professionalism, and I’m grateful to see these sentences handed down.’

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