Lewis Ghessen

Lewis Ghessen was run over by a train whilst trying to escape from some muggers at Harrow and Wealdstone station on 25 September 2011.

Two teenagers were tried for his manslaughter but acquitted because the evidence against them was too weak. It was said that they had chased Lewis Ghessen from the High Street after seeing him with two mobile phones and that Lewis Ghessen had then run into Harrow and Wealdstone Station and on to the tracks to escape them.

They had been seen on CCTV getting into an exchange with Lewis Ghessen near Harrow and Wealdstone station but said that they had done nothing to cause Lewis Ghessen to run onto the railway line.

The prosecution at the trial said that Lewis Ghessen had been afraid of being mugged and had walked off the platform to put distance between himself and the two teenagers.

As he had run along the platform at Harrow and Wealdstone Station he had called 999 and told them he was being chased by 'mad guys'. It was said that he was hit by an express train whilst he was talking to the operator that was travelling at about 100mph. During the 999 call he had recited the Lord’s Prayer.

His body was later found at 9pm having been hit by the train.

However, the case against the two teenagers collapsed after the judge dismissed the charges on the grounds of insufficient evidence. The judge said that he agreed that the two teenagers had set out to mug Lewis Ghessen, but said that Lewis Ghessen's fears were unfounded.

It was noted that it was his 23rd birthday the following day and that he had earlier in the day been drinking and taking drugs. At his post-mortem traces of alcohol, ecstasy and cannabis were found in his body.

Lewis Ghessen was from Paddington and had been a trainee electrician. He was known by friends as Del Boy of Paddington.