Ricky Morgan: Tube machete attacker jailed for attempted murder

A man who attacked a stranger with a machete on a London Tube train has been jailed for a minimum of 16 years.

Ricky Morgan, 35, slashed and stabbed passenger James Porritt during an unprovoked attack inside a Jubilee line carriage near Green Park in July 2021.

Mr Porritt told the Old Bailey jury it had been "like a horror movie".

Morgan was convicted of attempted murder in May. Passing a life sentence, the judge described his actions as "every Tube traveller's nightmare".

Ricky Morgan told passengers "this is not a terror attack" as he wielded a machete inside a Tube carriage

The court heard Mr Porritt had been on his way to meet his girlfriend and her father on 9 July last year when Morgan told onlookers, "this is not a terror attack, I only want him" and charged at him.

The victim, who had never met his attacker before, suffered severe injuries as he tried to defend himself, including bone-deep gashes to his head and leg, and a partially severed right hand.

He told the Old Bailey: "I genuinely thought he was going to kill me, he just would not stop. He was relentless. He said he did not want anybody else, he just wanted me. He was fixated with me.

"I don't know how I escaped. I was scared I was going to lose my little finger and I held it together. I just knew, fight or flight. I just ran for my life. It was like a stampede, people were terrified."

James Porritt had visited a gym and was on his way to meet his girlfriend and her father in west London

Mr Porritt said in May after the guilty verdict: "The scars from this attack on my legs, elbow, arm, face, head and my entire right hand, will remain with me for the rest of my life.

"My surgeon is unable to determine if I will ever regain the full use of my right, dominant hand."

Firearms officers from British Transport Police were soon at the scene and Morgan was taken into custody.

He told the arresting officers it was "a road issue" not a "terrorist attack", adding: "If I had known it would cause this much drama, I would not have done it."

Morgan has been jailed for a minimum of 16 years

Morgan, of no fixed address, later told a psychiatrist he had been carrying the machete and a lock-knife around for some time in his rucksack.

The defendant, who had denied attempted murder on grounds of insanity, was also found guilty of two counts of possessing bladed articles.

He refused to give evidence during the trial.

During the sentencing Judge John Hillen KC said Mr Porritt was very lucky to still be alive.

"What happened will haunt him for the rest of his life," he added.

"Many if not most of the people in the carriage, fearing you were about to slash people indiscriminately - and at least some of them fearing it was a terrorist attack - got up and started screaming and frantically trying to get away.

"It was a wonder that no-one else suffered injury. I think it is not too sensationalist or overdramatic to say this was every Tube traveller's nightmare."

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