This is the moment a Tube passenger was arrested after killing a commuter who ‘brushed past’ him with a single punch.
Rakeem Miles, 24, grabbed ‘gentle’ AI engineer Samuel Winter from behind with such force he tore his top in two before punching him once in the head, sending him tumbling to the floor.
The brutal assault left Mr Winter fatally injured, dying in hospital two days after the attack. Miles ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
He is now serving an eight-year sentence – but could be out on the streets in five and a half years. Campaigners are calling for the sentence to be revisited, branding it ‘simply inadequate’.
The pair had been travelling on separate carriages on the Jubilee line before disembarking at Southwark Underground station at around 9.30pm on August 22 last year. As they left the station, Mr Winter ‘brushed past’ Miles and continued walking.
Miles stopped in his tracks for a second before following after Mr Winter, shouting after him – before grabbing him by his top and throwing a single, powerful punch which connected with the tech worker’s head with such force he collapsed.
The thug then fled from the scene as he left his victim – who had not interacted with him beyond passing him in Southwark Underground station – fatally hurt on the stairs.
Police worked rapidly to trace Miles as paramedics took Mr Winter to hospital with a critical brain injury. They quickly used Oyster card data to trace his top-ups back to a nearby shop.
Tube killer Rakeem Miles as he was apprehended on August 23 last year – after punching an AI engineer who had brushed past him in a station
Samuel Winter (pictured) died after being punched by Miles in Southwark Tube station
Miles, 24, grabbed AI engineer Samuel before knocking him out with a powerful punch that would later lead to the ‘gentle’ 28-year-old’s death
When officers arrived at the shop the next morning, a worker informed them that Miles had just left moments earlier – and they stormed down the street to arrest him on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
In video footage released by the British Transport Police, Miles can be seen being restrained by police officers in the street.
He appears to make no attempt to resist and bows his head as he is handcuffed and led into a police van.
The charge of GBH was elevated to murder after Mr Winter – described in tributes as ‘gentle, kind and patient’ – died on August 24, surrounded by his family.
But Miles was cleared of murder by a jury in March – instead pleading guilty to a manslaughter, for which he was sentenced on Tuesday to eight years imprisonment with a further five years on licence.
He must serve at least five and a half years before he will be eligible for parole, with no guarantee of release at that time.
However, the apparent levity of the sentence has sparked anger and calls for a tougher sentence.
Susan Hall, leader of City Hall Conservatives, told MailOnline: ‘My heart breaks. Samuel Winter brushed past someone in a Tube station – something we all do, daily – and this heartless monster took his life.
‘Samuel Winter will not go home to his family and friends, he will not go back to his job, he will not live out the rest of his life, tragically cut short as it was.
‘(Rakeem Miles) will do five years at a push before he walks free, without any remorse or consequences beyond that. There is no justice in it at all, and I despair that this is what London has come to.
‘Make no mistake – any one of us could have been Samuel Winter. My thoughts are with his family.’
Campaign group Crush Crime has submitted a request to the Attorney General’s Office for a review of Miles’ sentence.
Miles can be seen bowing his head as he is handcuffed by British Transport Police officers who apprehended him using Oyster card data
He appears to make no attempt to resist arrest as he is restrained and led into the back of a police van
Samuel Winter died after being assaulted at Southwark Underground Station (file image of the station entrance)
It said in its request: ‘This was an unprovoked attack, with multiple stages at which Rakeem Miles could have chosen to stop.
‘A sentence of 8 years (with five and a half years before he is eligible for parole) is simply inadequate for a remorseless killer that pursued his victim for an unprovoked attack.
‘It is difficult to see why such a short sentence is justified or why it is important for Rakeem Miles to be potentially out on Britain’s streets, walking past members of the public, in five and a half years time. The sentence must be revisited.’
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that they had received a request to review Miles’ sentence.
They added: ‘We have received a request for this sentence to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
‘The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision.’
An online CV suggests Mr Winter had been working in technology for a multinational medical firm, and had volunteered with a number of Christian organisations and as a physiotherapist.
Online tributes described him as ‘kind, intelligent, clever… and always ready to help those in need’.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: ‘Though nothing can bring Samuel back, I hope today’s sentencing allows his family some small measure of comfort as they continue to grieve for him.
‘Samuel’s family described him as gentle and kind, and he will be sorely missed by all those who love him. We reiterate our requests to give the family privacy at such a difficult time.
‘It only took one punch from Miles to end Samuel’s life and forever change the lives of those around him.
‘He showed no remorse for his action, leaving Samuel at the station and continuing on with his evening.
‘The quick-time and thorough investigation by the teams involved meant Miles was identified and apprehended quickly.
‘There is zero tolerance for violence on the railway and I’d like to thank my team for their hard work and determination to secure justice for Samuel’s family.’
In a heart-wrenching tribute, the victim’s family said: ‘Sam was a very much-loved son, brother, grandson, cousin, nephew and friend.
‘We are devastated his life here has ended. He was a qualified physiotherapist, AI engineer and a volunteer with several charities.
‘His family and friends will remember him as gentle and kind, quick-witted and funny, with deep faith and an unendingly giving spirit.’
