Man Gets 4 Years In Jail For Plaistow Attacks

A man who attacked two young women in unprovoked attacks in Newham has been jailed.

On Monday 25 February he was sentenced to four years for the assault on a 16 year old girl in Plaistow in November last year.

He also received a 19 month sentence for an almost identical assault 12 months earlier at Plaistow Tube Station. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Michael Ayoade, 35, (17/02/78) of Green Gate Street, Plaistow, targeted the women in separate assaults which left them both unconscious.

He was sentenced at Inner London Crown court after admitting two counts of ABH at earlier hearings at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Ayoade, who was far bigger than his victims, was caught after CCTV footage of a street attack in November last year on a 16-year-old victim in Plaistow was issued to the media.

The footage was also posted on YouTube and Twitter by the Metropolitan Police giving the appeal maximum exposure.

Detectives from the Met arrested Ayoade on suspicion of assault after receiving a number of anonymous calls identifying him when footage of the street attack was released.

On seeing footage, officers from the British Transport Police believed he was the same man responsible for a near identical attack at Plaistow tube station 12 months earlier.

The assault in the street on 13 November, 2012 outside the Black Lion pub in High Street, Plaistow.

At about 12:30hrs on that day, Ayoade followed the 16-year-old girl from her home address for approximately 500 metres.

When he was near the Black Lion pub he ran up behind her and threw a
punch to her head.

The victim fell to ground and was unconscious. Ayoade turned around and jogged back towards Green Gate Street.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Newham General Hospital with bruising to the head and cuts to her face. She was treated and discharged that day.

She had three broken teeth, cuts to her face and bruising to her head and neck.

During his interview Ayoade stated he saw the victim in the street and that he did not like the way she looked at him. He then hit her.

The incident at Plaistow London Underground Station happened at around 20.20hrs on 20 November, 2011.

The court heard that the victim, a 21-year-old student from Birmingham, was on the phone to a friend and was having a problem with the ticket machine.

Ayoade approached the victim and punched her to the side of her face, knocking her out, before running away.

The victim later attended hospital and received treatment for broken teeth.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Glenn Peach of Met's Violent Crime Unit at Newham, said:

"These were unprovoked and cowardly attacks on defenceless women for no reason whatsoever.

"In the assault outside the Black Lion, the force the teenage victim hit the pavement after being punched in the head could have resulted in far worse injures. It was shocking attack on someone who was unable defend themselves.

"Ayoade has expressed little remorse for what he has done."

"He was a clearly a danger to the public and needed to be caught before he caused serious injury to someone else."

Speaking about the Plaistow tube assault, Detective Constable, Oliver Carne of the British Transport Police, the investigating officer for British Transport Police, said:

"This was a shocking, unprovoked assault on a lone woman who was left feeling traumatised and in a lot of pain.

"Violent incidents are rare on the Tube network and the chances of becoming a victim are very slim.

"However, BTP takes violence very seriously and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice."