‘Dangerous’ man jailed for punching woman then dragging her along pavement

A man who repeatedly punched a woman and dragged her along a pavement in the early hours of New Year’s Day has been jailed for nearly three years.

Andrew Akingbaje pleaded guilty to assaulting Krystal Mission outside Lotus, a south London nightclub.

The sentencing judge said the 24-year-old was “dangerous to women”.

Part of his attack was caught on camera.

In the clip, Akingbaje punches his victim repeatedly in the head until she falls to the ground.

The 24-year-old then fled the scene, as bystanders came to Ms Mission’s aid.

The video was posted online where it quickly spread across social media.

Ms Mission had been celebrating the new year with three friends.

The women had an altercation with a second group over a queue space outside the club.

“They were queueing up when some females distinguished by wearing blue wigs barged into the queue and then accused Krystal and her friends of having pushed in,” said Patricia May, prosecuting.

“Everyone went into the club and there was no trouble in the club, but there came a time about 3am when Krystal and her friend were in the bathroom when one of the women in blue wigs came in and threatened them.

“It’s at that point that they decided that they should go but the blue wigs group came out to them, accosted them outside the premises, and by the conclusion were apparently trying to provoke them.”

Ms May told Inner London Crown Court that shortly afterwards the “defendant came up and punched Krystal several times causing her to fall to the ground.”

“Her friends tried to rescue her, but in the course of fending them off he hit both of them as well and then dragged Krystal along the ground.

“It was at that stage when she managed to get up from the ground and get herself upright when somebody, who turned out to be a street warden who was mistaken for a bouncer, saw the aftermath of this, grabbed hold of her, thinking that he was protecting her.

“It was by this stage that the defendant and the blue wigs group again came up to Krystal and it was at this time that the friend started recording on her phone.

“While she was being held the defendant handed his mobile phone to another person then came right up to her as she was being held and punched her very viciously on the face several times.”

http://players.brightcove.net/624246174001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5837728067001

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The assault left Ms Mission with a bruised face and arms. She also sustained grazes along her legs.

“I was upset for a week constantly. I would break down into tears. If someone brought it up to me I would get very upset and cry,” the 21-year-old said in a statement.

“I had a panic attack when I went out the next time. I have not been out in London since.”

Judge Mark Bishop, sentencing Akingbaje to 32 months in prison, said he posed a serious risk to women. “I have seen the film and it’s a chilling piece of violence against a woman,” he said.

“In 2013 you sold drugs and received 13 months in a young offenders institute, and in 2017 a conviction of wounding your partner for which you were sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.”

He added: “The writer of the pre-sentence report says that you are dangerous in the meaning of the law, there was an emerging pattern of violence – particularly towards women.

“I’m satisfied that you do pose a serious risk, particularly towards women. You are dangerous to women, in my judgement.”

The 24-year-old, from Brixton, was reportedly a promising footballer who had previously played for non-league Peckham Town.

Additional reporting by agencies