A train passenger who missed his train and threw a fatal punch to the face of an Elizabeth line worker has been told he will be detained in hospital indefinitely.
Transport for London (TfL) worker Jorge Ortega, 61, hit his head on the concrete platform at Ilford station, east London, after being floored by the single blow from Ayodele Jamgbadi in December 2024, Inner London Crown Court heard.
The grandfather-of-five died two days later of a severe traumatic brain injury.
Jamgbadi, of Kingston Road, Ilford, was charged with murder but was deemed unfit to stand trial due to significant mental health issues.
On Wednesday, a jury, sitting as part of a trial of issue at the court, unanimously agreed that Jamgbadi did the act that led to Mr Ortega’s death.
The British Transport Police (BTP) also said Jamgbadi was handed a strict hospital order with restrictions aimed at ensuring he gets appropriate treatment and to protect the public.
Under the order, Jamgbadi remains detained in hospital for treatment and cannot be discharged, transferred or granted leave without the approval of the Secretary of State for Justice, or a direction of the Mental Health Tribunal.
Mr Ortega and two other Transport for London employees had stepped out of an office to try and calm Jamgbadi, who was kicking an advertising frame when he hit out at Mr Ortega.
BTP said Jamgbadi had apparently missed a train and began kicking a wall on platform three.
After the finding, Mr Ortega’s family remembered him as “a loving husband, a devoted father and a wonderful grandfather” in a tribute released via the police.
They said: “We miss Jorge every single day. As a family, we wish he were here to see everything that has happened since he left us, and to share in the moments, both big and small, that we wish we could have experienced together.
“We want Jorge to be remembered for the life he lived, not for the way he was taken from us. He was a loving husband, a devoted father and a wonderful grandfather. He was hardworking, kind, generous, caring, funny, wise and incredibly talented.
He had a gift for art and drawing, and his creativity and attention to detail were a special part of who he was. The artwork he created is something we proudly display in our homes, and it will always be a part of him that we can hold on to.”
After the sentencing, BTP detective chief inspector Paul Attwell said: “I would like to pay tribute to the dignity, strength and courage shown by Mr Ortega’s family following his untimely loss.
“I recognise that their grief has been compounded by the length of time it has taken to reach this stage.
“I am grateful for the patience, support and understanding they have demonstrated throughout the investigation and the proceedings that have followed.
“Mr Ortega was a kind and hardworking man who was carrying out his duties as usual that evening, when he became the victim of a wholly unacceptable act of violence.
“Nobody should be subjected to abuse, intimidation or violence whilst travelling or working on the rail network.”
Jamgbadi was arrested on December 5 2024, a day after the attack.
Prosecutor Patrick Dennis had told the court: “The defendant stated to the police at that point, ‘What are you going to do about it?’
“’I punched him in the face. I literally punched him in the face. Are you going to nick me then?’”
Mr Ortega’s co-worker, Mohammed Alim, said the man “seemed a bit disturbed, a bit angry and just said ‘who’s got a problem?’”.
Mr Alim told the court: “Within a split second, he swung a punch on Jorge’s left-hand side. The attacker used his right hand.
“It struck Jorge near the temple area. The impact of the punch was with so much force that I saw something fly out of his mouth.
“He was floored. He hit the back of his head.”
Pathologist Dr Michael Parsons, who carried out the post-mortem examination, concluded: “Jorge Ortega died as the result of a severe blunt force head injury, the pattern of which is characteristic of a heavy impact to the back of the head.
“He had also sustained soft tissue injuries around the right eye that would support a heavy punch to the face being the event that precipitated an accelerated fall to the ground and setting in motion the sequence of clinical events that resulted in death.”
