Jackson Devere - Harnet has been suspended on full pay whilst London Tube management investigate an alleged incident with a passenger on the northbound Piccadilly line platform of Kings Cross station. Derek Hodgeson claims he approached the driver in his cab and asked if this was the train for Cock Fosters. What ensued, according to Hodgeson, was a tirade of verbal abuse, followed by a severe beating. Leaving Hodgeson needing fifty-two stiches in his head and upper body.

Mr Hodgeson recounted his version of events from his hospital bed, shortly after being released from ITU. “I was on my way to see a friend who had not been well. I rushed onto the platform as the train pulled in, as my eyesight is not perfect I couldn’t see the electronic board.” Hodgeson stopped momentarily to enjoy another mouthful of breakfast through a straw. “As I was close to the front of the train I tapped on the driver's window to ask if this train was going to Cockfosters”. Again Hodgeson had to stop whilst he coughed up a not insignificant amount of blood. “Excuse me”, the mild mannered invalid managed, “it is the remnants of the internal bleeding. The doctors say it should clear up within a couple of months”. I attempt to bring Mr Hodgeson back on track (no pun intended).

He continued, “So I asked the driver, I thought he didn’t hear me so I asked again. At this point he turned to me and said; “Do I look like the ****ing information board?” I tried to apologise but he continued; “Of course it’s the ****ing train to Cock****ingfosters you ****ing thick ****”, as you can imagine, I was rather shocked to say the least”.

It is alleged that Mr Devere - Harnet continued his onslaught of abuse, as Mr Hodgeson recounts further, “I didn’t know what to say, I was speechless. I was going to respond, thought better of it and moved away from the train. Sadly this did not seem to diffuse the situation. At this point, Mr Devere - Harnet was leaning out of his window shouting at me, “Hey, thick ****, do you want me to ****ing tell you which one is your ****ing arse and which one is your ****ing elbow?” At this point I was not prepared to take any more. I turned to look at Mr Devere - Harnet and asked, very politely, if he would mind his language as there were women and children present, to which, he flew out of his cab shouting “you think you’re ****ing better than me, you ****ing ****” and knocked me to the floor. Fortunately he kicked me so hard in the side of the head that I passed out immediately and therefore did not have to endure the estimated four and a half minute beating he administered to me whilst I was unconscious”. At this point I was asked by the nurse to leave Mr Hodgeson to rest, as he was still very weak.

It appears the only thing that brought proceedings to a halt was an alarm going off on Mr Devere - Harnet ’s watch, signifying the end of his shift, and in his own words at the time, “I ain’t doin’ a minute more for less than triple time”. Mr Devere - Harnet has shown little remorse since the alleged incident. However, in the name of balanced reporting, I felt I should interview him and get his side of the story. I met with him at his home in Plumstead. I asked Mr Devere - Harnet for his version of events. He claims he answered Mr Hodgeson’s question politely, Mr Hodgeson couldn’t hear him so he got out of his cab, slipped and accidentally knocked him over. I am sorry to report that Mr Devere - Harnet ’s story does not exactly tie in with the thirteen different posts made shortly after the incident on Youtube from various passenger’s mobile phones. Apparently it appears that people were too busy filming to actually help Mr Hodgeson during his ordeal.

Billy Thug, head of the Consolidated Union for National Transport, has made his position very clear. I spoke to Mr Thug yesterday and got this response, “This is clearly a misunderstanding, our member would never act in such a way that Mr Hodgeson has alleged. He is a family man and has a long history of over two months employment with this company, without almost any issues.” I asked Mr Thug if thirteen different posts to Youtube was surely evidence enough that something untoward had gone on, involving one of his members. “You have no idea what people can do now with computers and manipulating pictures. Even before such technical trickery was commonplace, I have a photo of me and the wife at Kennedy space centre with my face in a cardboard cut out of Neil Armstrong, it doesn’t mean I walked on the moon”.

Mr Thug did make one thing very clear , “We are not prepared to sit back and let one of our members be victimised in this way. Even if Mr Devere - Harnet was a little short in his reply, which I am not conceding he was, our members are under a lot of pressure. As an example, Mr Devere - Harnet had worked almost thirty hours in the previous seven days when the alleged incident took place at Kings Cross. Further to that, he would have only had four days off before returning to work. I don’t know how these poor ****ers do it”. I pointed out that perhaps Mr Thug’s use of language was inappropriate, given the topic of discussion, his response was; “that I should go **** myself, seeing as I am a cock sucking mother ****er”.

Mr Hodgeson has decided not to take matters further, believing that at eighty four, life is too short to dwell on such things. He pointed out that having been wheel chair bound for thirty five years due to a rare joint disorder, now being wheel chair bound for a spinal injury would not be much more of a hardship.

The C.U.N.T. are pulling their members out on strike for 3 days, the dates will be confirmed once they have agreed which will have the greatest inconvenience to the general public. They intend to protest at Mr Devere – Harnet’ dismissal, even though he has not actually been dismissed as yet.