Mugger who broke trainspotter’s jaw and stole his camera jailed for seven years
Terrence Hamston repeatedly punched, kicked and kneed a pensioner in the head in a completely unprovoked attack.
A man who stole a camera from a 69-year-old trainspotter and broke his jaw has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
British Transport Police (BTP) said Terrence Hamston, 45, repeatedly punched, kicked and kneed the pensioner in the head in a completely unprovoked attack, before pulling the camera from his hands and running away.
The attack happened on the overbridge at St Johns Railway Station in south east London on May 16.
The pensioner, who had been taking photographs of trains and the railway track, suffered a broken jaw which he had to have titanium pins put in along with wiring on his teeth. His £2,000 camera was stolen.
A passer-by came to his aid.
Hamston was jailed on Tuesday at London’s Blackfriars Crown Court for seven years for robbery and 32 months for grievous bodily harm. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The BTP said the pensioner’s blood was found on Hamston’s trousers and shoe. Hamston’s fingerprints were also found on the stolen camera which was later tracked down.
After sentencing, Detective Inspector Simon Collins described Hamston as “a dangerous and violent man”, adding that he was “pleased that he is now behind bars.”
Investigating officer Detective Constable Neil Lane said: “The victim sustained serious injuries including a broken jaw with multiple fractures and the incident had a profound effect on him and his family.
“I hope that today’s sentence will give them some sense of justice and enable them to start moving on from this ordeal.”