A man who carried out a random machete attack on a London Underground passenger has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years. Ricky Morgan, 35, slashed and stabbed James Porritt on a Jubilee line train near Green Park in July 2021.
The Old Bailey heard that Mr Porritt was on his way to meet his girlfriend and her father when Morgan charged at him, telling onlookers it was not a terror attack and that he only wanted the victim. The attack left Mr Porritt with severe injuries, including bone-deep gashes to his head and leg, and a partially severed right hand.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Porritt said: 'I genuinely thought he was going to kill me, he just would not stop. He was relentless.' He added that the scars would remain with him for life and that his surgeon could not determine if he would regain full use of his dominant hand.
Morgan was convicted of attempted murder in May after denying the charge on grounds of insanity. He was also found guilty of two counts of possessing bladed articles. The judge, John Hillen KC, described the attack as 'every Tube traveller's nightmare' and noted that Mr Porritt was 'very lucky to still be alive'.
