Man, 61, charged after Matt Hancock 'assaulted and branded a murderer' on the Tube
26 January 2023, 10:25
A man has been charged after Matt Hancock was assaulted and harassed on the Tube.
The former health secretary and I'm A Celebrity contestant was filmed being called a "murderer" in front of commuters on a packed train.
British Transport Police said: "A 61-year-old man has been charged in connection to a man being assaulted and harassed at Westminster station on 24 January.
"Geza Tarjanyi, from Leyland, is charged with common assault & two public order offences. He's been released on bail to appear in court next month."
Mr Hancock, 44, said before the charge was announced: "Both Transport for London staff and the British Transport Police were fantastic.
Read more: Dangerous trans rapist should not be in women's prison, Labour's Yvette Cooper insists after outrage
He added "this sort of behaviour is a rare occurrence" and stressed the "importance of shutting down baseless misinformation which causes so much harm".
"Matt wants to put on record his thanks to TfL and the British Transport Police for their extraordinary work."
Video circulating online showed a transport worker supporting the MP throughout much of the incident.
Mr Hancock, 44, was health secretary when the coronavirus pandemic struck and was a key figure in the lockdown restrictions and vaccine rollout that followed.
He resigned after leaked CCTV image showed him kissing an adviser in his office, in breach of his own social distancing guidance.
Mr Hancock angered colleagues and constituents by jetting to the Australian jungle to appear on the reality show but won some sympathy from TV voters to come third.
Having been stripped of the Conservative whip over the appearance, he said he would not contest his West Suffolk seat at the next election when he will step down.
