An African teenager has been jailed for three years after following a passenger off a London Underground train and ripping a gold necklace from his neck in the early hours of the morning.
Mamadou Bah, 19, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to robbery.
The incident happened shortly before 4.30am on December 20, 2025, when Bah was travelling on a Central Line train and noticed a man asleep in the carriage wearing a gold chain.
When the passenger woke up and left the train at Chancery Lane station, Bah followed him.
He approached the man from behind, grabbed his collar and attempted to tear away the necklace. Although the victim initially managed to resist, Bah eventually succeeded in pulling the chain from his neck, breaking the clasp.
The victim refused to allow Bah to escape and restrained him near the station escalators until staff arrived and called British Transport Police.
Officers separated the two men and searched Bah. They discovered two gold chains, including the one taken during the robbery. The stolen necklace was recovered and returned to its owner.
During police questioning, Bah claimed he had been acting in self defence. But after officers showed him footage of the incident, he declined to answer further questions. He was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty.
British Transport Police Detective Constable Annika Liparoti said Bah appeared to have regarded the sleeping passenger as an easy target, but instead found himself facing a prison sentence.
