Man jailed for pushing woman on train track after she asked him to stop smoking
A man was jailed for four years this afternoon for pushing a woman on to rail tracks in the morning rush-hour in a row over smoking.
Jailing Ionel Rapisca, Judge Charles Macdonald QC told him: "This was a very grave crime. You could easily have killed this victim.
"As it is, her career is over and she has an enduring psychiatric illness."
The judge rejected Rapisca's claim that he was acting in self-defence and that the fall was an accident and cast doubt on suggestions he was now remorseful.
Victim Linda Buchanan was not in court but issued a statement saying she was "delighted" with the result and glad to gain closure.
She said: "My intention was only ever to politely explain to Mr Rapisca that it is against the law to smoke at this station and I remain incredibly shocked how this resulted in such an unprovoked attack of violence."
Miss Buchanan, 59, had criticised Ionel Rapisca, 33, for blowing smoke at her and said: "I don't like the smell of cancer." The following day he shoved her off the platform as the Mayfair senior management consultant waited for the 7.12am train at Farningham Road station in Kent in 2008. Rapisca made an obscene noise and pushed Miss Buchanan on to the track near a line carrying 750 volts.
Miss Buchanan suffered a fractured wrist, severe bruising and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the fall. She told the court that Rapisca, a Romanian, stood over her on the platform and she feared he was about to "finish me off". But he dragged her back on to the platform, while his brother-in-law retrieved her mobile phone, and both men fled.
Today a jury at Maidstone crown court cleared Rapisca, a carpenter of Dartford, of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but convicted him of grievous bodily harm. He was jailed for four years.
Speaking of the day before the attack, Miss Buchanan had told the jury: "I very politely said, 'Sorry, do you know it's no smoking at this station?' He started laughing and blew smoke at me again. I've never liked the smell of smoke because it reminded me of my dad who died of lung cancer."
