A Nigerian man, Ayodele Jamgbadi, has gone on trial in the UK after he allegedly punched a 61-year-old Elizabeth Line railway worker, Jorge Ortega, at Ilford station in east London.
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The incident happened on December 4, 2024, after Jamgbadi had reportedly missed his train. Ortega was rushed to hospital after the alleged assault but died two days later from a severe traumatic brain injury.
Jamgbadi, who is now 30, is charged with Ortega’s murder. However, Inner London Crown Court heard on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, that he is not fit to make a plea or participate in his murder trial.
Judge Benedict Kelleher told the court that Jamgbadi was “mentally unwell and not fit to stand trial” and is currently in hospital. Because of this, the jury is being asked to determine whether he carried out the act that led to Ortega’s death.
The court heard that three railway staff members, including Ortega, approached Jamgbadi on the platform after hearing banging noises and seeing him kicking an advertising frame.
Prosecutor Patrick Dennis told the jury that CCTV footage showed Jamgbadi initially walking away from the workers before turning around and approaching Ortega.
The prosecutor said: “It is at that stage he punched Jorge Ortega with significant force.”
Jamgbadi was arrested the following day. According to the prosecution, he told police officers after his arrest: “I punched him in the face… Are you going to nick me then?”
Ortega’s colleague, Mohammed Alim, also gave evidence about what he witnessed.
Alim told the court that he saw the man punch Ortega “near the temple area” and said the force of the punch caused Ortega to fall and hit the back of his head on the platform.
“The impact of the punch was with so much force that I saw something fly out of his mouth,” Alim told the court.
“He was floored. He hit the back of his head.”
Ortega was then carried into an office by colleagues and members of the public. Alim said the railway worker was “going in and out of consciousness” after the incident.
The jury was also told that pathologist Dr Michael Parsons concluded that Ortega’s head injury was “entirely consistent with a substantial impact to the back of the head caused by a heavy fall from a standing height.”
The prosecution is asking the jury to determine whether Jamgbadi threw the punch and whether the punch was a significant cause of Ortega’s death.
The RMT union previously confirmed that Ortega was one of its members and worked as a customer experience assistant for MTREL, the company operating the Elizabeth Line.
Ortega’s death in December 2024 prompted tributes from his family, colleagues and members of the public. His family described him as a loving and devoted family man.
The case is continuing at Inner London Crown Court.