Hadi Al Koumi

An 18-year-old teenager from Ealing, Hadi Al Koumi, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for committing a string of 'abhorrent' sexual assaults on the London Underground network. The offences, described by the British Transport Police as 'sickening and opportunistic', targeted four women over three days in August 2024, exploiting the crowded conditions of the Tube during rush hours and other times.

The first assault occurred on 6 August 2024, at approximately 5:15pm at St John’s Wood underground station. Al Koumi crouched down behind a woman in her 30s as she boarded a train during rush hour and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene. Two days later, on 8 August 2024, at around 2:40pm, he approached another woman in her 30s from behind at Green Park underground station as her train arrived, assaulting her sexually. When the victim turned to confront him, Al Koumi walked away but looked back and winked at her, displaying a brazen attitude.

Less than two hours later, at 4:20pm on the same day, Al Koumi struck again at East Acton underground station. A woman in her 40s was distracted by her phone when he approached from behind and assaulted her. The final incident happened later that evening, around 11:15pm, on a train travelling between Greenford and Perivale stations. Al Koumi attempted to engage a woman in her 30s in conversation; despite her repeated requests for him to leave her alone, he persisted and then sexually assaulted her. The victim defended herself by throwing a glass at him as the train doors opened, allowing her to escape and immediately call 999 to report the attack.

All four assaults were captured on CCTV footage, which proved crucial in identifying Al Koumi. The British Transport Police circulated his images, leading to his recognition and arrest by officers at Perivale station on 27 August 2024. At Isleworth Crown Court, Al Koumi pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and was found guilty of the additional assault following a trial. In addition to his custodial sentence, he received a six-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Sergeant Matthew Nolan of the British Transport Police commented on the case, stating: “Al Koumi took deliberate advantage of the rail network in order to assault multiple women for his own sexual gratification. He's clearly a dangerous predator who has exhibited a disturbing and abhorrent pattern of offending towards women, so I’m grateful to see the sentencing handed down today, and I hope it can bring some sense of closure and comfort to the women he targeted.” The police emphasised their zero-tolerance policy towards sexual offences on the rail network, with ongoing patrols by uniformed and plain-clothes officers to ensure public safety.