A female police officer has spoken about the terrifying moment when a violent armed robber from Willesden attempted to stab her as she tried to arrest him.
The victim, who is in her 30s and wishes to remain anonymous, was attacked by Hussam El-Handi, of Ilex Road, near Acton Town underground station on November 5 last year.
The 20-year-old swung the knife towards the officer in an over-arm, downward motion but thanks to her special training she managed to block the attack.
Last week he was jailed for 10 years for the attempted GBH on the officer, theft of two mobile phones, attempted robbery, possession of a firearm, possession of criminal property (cash), possession of an offensive weapon (a knife) and threatening a person with a sharply pointed article.
Speaking of her ordeal, she said: “The moment El-Handi plunged the knife towards my chest was terrifying and I believed he was going to stab me. All I could think about were my children and how I may not get home to see them.
“Assaulting anybody is unacceptable, I was responding to help a member of the public who had been robbed, but nobody should have to suffer this type of assault.”
Isleworth Crown Court heard El-Handi and Laurrent Sango, 21, from Ladbroke Grove, had violently robbed several commuters during a rush-hour rampage near Acton Town underground station on November 2 last year.
El-Handi was on licence at the time after being jailed in February for a knife offence and an assault carried out the previous September.
Police rushed to the scene and Sango was arrested nearby but El-Handi managed to flee after trying to stab the officer.
Sango was found in possession of two phones stolen from victims that morning and a lock knife.
El-Handi was arrested three days later at the Hammersmith and City Line tube station in Shepherd’s Bush.
He was found in possession of a firearm, a hunting knife and around £500 in cash.
When he was placed in the police van to transport him to a station for questioning he spat inside the vehicle.
Detective Constable Chris Drover from Ealing CID said: “The level of threat posed - and the violence that El-Handi was all too quick to display towards a police officer - showed just what lengths they would willingly go to in order to carry on committing these cowardly crimes.”
“These two men eked out a pathetic living, using knives to threaten commuters and steal their phones.”
Sango previously pleaded guilty to robbery, attempted robbery, threatening others with an offensive weapon and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was jailed for six years.
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