A 19-year-old, Rakeem Thomas has been cleared of all charges related to a brutal stabbing on a south London train, after successfully arguing that he acted in self-defence.

The incident, which took place during a brief three-minute journey between Shortlands and Beckenham Junction, left terrified passengers shouting in horror as Thomas repeatedly stabbed Kyran O’Shea-Deriggs with a sword-like knife.

The court heard that the confrontation between the two men escalated quickly after a chance encounter on the train. In footage widely shared online, Thomas, dressed in a black hooded jacket and face mask, is seen plunging the large blade into O’Shea-Deriggs, while passengers screamed for him to stop. One woman can be heard yelling, "F***ing stop it!" as Thomas continued his assault, with O’Shea-Deriggs lying on the ground.

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Thomas fled the scene when the train arrived at Beckenham Junction, later telling his mother, "It was either him or me." His defence team argued that Thomas had acted out of fear for his own life, claiming that the knife used in the attack actually belonged to O’Shea-Deriggs. Thomas testified that he saw the knife in the victim’s waistband and grabbed it just as O’Shea-Deriggs was reaching for it.

According to Thomas, he panicked and acted in self-preservation, fearing he would be stabbed if he did not act first. He admitted that he did not know how many times he had stabbed O’Shea-Deriggs, stating he had blacked out during the frenzied moment.

Thomas faced multiple charges, including attempted murder, wounding with intent, and affray—the latter relating to the distress caused to other passengers. However, after considering the circumstances of the case, the jury ruled in his favour, clearing him of all charges. The court accepted his self-defence argument, determining that Thomas had acted out of fear for his own safety during the confrontation.