Man charged with assaulting Matt Hancock on London Underground
A man has been charged with assaulting Matt Hancock, the the former health secretary, following an incident on the Tube.
Geza Tarjany, from Leyland in Lancashire, was charged with one count of common assault and a public order offence, and is due to appear in court next month.
It follows an incident in which the 61-year-old allegedly challenged Mr Hancock over his handling of the Covid pandemic and his support for nationwide lockdowns.
In a video posted online, the suspect could be seen filming as he repeatedly questioned the MP in front of other passengers as a female member of London underground staff pleaded with him to stop.
Mr Hancock, who appeared on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! last year remained calm and at one stage could be heard saying: “I don’t think this aggression is appropriate.”
After getting off the train, the suspect appeared to follow the MP, who then turned and accused him of pushing him.
‘Unpleasant encounter’
A spokesman for Mr Hancock, who represents West Suffolk but will stand down at the next election, described it an “unpleasant encounter”.
A spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) said: “A 61-year-old man has been charged in connection to a man being assaulted and harassed at Westminster Underground station on Tuesday Jan 24.
“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 Jan 19.
“He has been released on conditional bail to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday Feb 22 .”
The incident comes amid ongoing concern over the security of MPs following the murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess.
Mr Hancock resigned as health secretary in June 2021 when it emerged that he had allegedly breached social distancing rules while engaging in an affair with Gina Coladangelo, his adviser.
