Man, 61, charged with assaulting Matt Hancock after 'aggressive' Tube encounter

26 January 2023 , 10:25

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Man, 61, charged with assaulting Matt Hancock after 'aggressive' Tube encounter

A 61-year-old man has been charged with assaulting former Health Secretary Matt Hancock on the London Underground.

Geza Tarjanyi, from Leyland, Lancashire, will appear in court next month charged with common assault and two public order offence.

The Tory MP is understood to have been unhurt after the alleged attack on Tuesday morning, which began at Westminster station close to Parliament.

A spokesman for Mr Hancock said the MP had been subject of a "very aggressive and unpleasant encounter".

He added: "Matt wants to put on record his thanks to TFL and the British Transport Police for their extraordinary work."

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A clip shows the former Health Secretary being harangued by a man in front of a carriage of commuters

The former cabinet member's spokesman described the behaviour as a "rare occurrence" and stressed the "importance of shutting down baseless misinformation which causes so much harm".

Mr Tarjanyi is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on February 22.

In a statement this morning British Transport Police said: "A 61-year-old man has been charged in connection to a man being assaulted and harassed at Westminster Underground station on Tuesday 24 January.

"Geza Tarjanyi, of Boundary Street, Leyland, is charged with one count of common assault and a public order offence.

"He is also charged with a second public order offence in connection to a separate incident on Parliament Street on 19 January.

"He has been released on conditional bail to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 22 February."

Mr Hancock was confronted by a man at Westminster underground station

A lengthy clip shows the Tory MP being pursued by a man on Tuesday morning

Mr Hancock, 44, was a cabinet member when the 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 seat at the next election when he will step down.

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