A man who threatened to kill passengers on board a train in Manchester with a knife has been jailed.
Shawana Ahmed Abdullah, 23, was wrestled to the floor of the carriage by two hero passengers who detained him until British Transport Police officers arrived and arrested him.
He was described by police as ‘clearly a dangerous individual with sinister intentions’ after he was jailed for 18 months.
Abdullah, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to threatening a person with a blade in a public place, British Transport Police said, and was sentenced by a judge at Manchester Crown Court on March 5.
The court heard Abdullah was travelling on a train from Manchester Airport to Manchester Oxford Road station on October 25 last year.
A BTP spokesman said: “Passengers became anxious when Abdullah began talking to himself loudly in Arabic and acting erratically, pacing the carriage.
“As he grew more agitated he declared he would kill them all.
“One passenger intervened and challenged Abdullah, asking him to be quiet and stop making threats.
“At this point Abdullah produced a kitchen knife from his waistband.
“Despite the terrifying circumstances, two passengers tackled Abdullah to the floor of the train and managed to disarm him.
“Other passengers then stepped in to help subdue Abdullah until British Transport Police officers arrived at the station and arrested him.”
Investigating officer PC Lee Reed said: “This was a terrifying experience for everyone on this busy Friday night service.
“What these two men did showed incredible bravery, in the face of real danger. I commend them both, and all the passengers who stepped in and also assisted our investigation.
“Abdullah is clearly a dangerous individual with sinister intentions and thankfully is now off the streets for a considerable amount of time.
“No-one should travel in fear and we are relentless in our focus to target resources to prevent and reduce crime.”
