"I Never Intended To Cause Him Any Harm," Says Bus Strangler

A man accused of trying to kill a fellow London bus passenger by strangling the victim with his scarf told a jury today: "I never intended to cause him any harm, my aim was to restrain him from hurting himself."

Eric Mjola, 33, (pic.top) was seen by CCTV and other passengers wrapping his scarf around the throat of Tesco's security guard Reynolds Quadjovie, who passed out on the C1 bus in Earl's Court.

"His movements were not something I was used to, looking sideways and back at me so I asked him: 'Are you crazy?'

"There was some groaning and I thought he was not well and that he was going to faint," Mjola told Isleworth Crown Court. "He had groaned earlier and started again as if he was choking.

"He was going to and fro, front and back in the seat and I took out the scarf to restrain him, to stop him from hurting himself.

"My aim was to put it around his chest, but it slipped up around his neck and at at that moment I let go and he slumped and I thought: 'Oh my God. He's having a fit.'

"If I did not help him further he would have fallen off his seat and I used the scarf to lift his head so he did not fall and bang it on the floor.

"It went around his neck again and that's when I decided to sit him on his chair.

"Someone shouted: 'You might kill him,' but I said: 'I'm not killing him. I won't kill him, I'm trying to help him'."

CCTV shows Mjola pursuing Mr. Quadiovie (pic.bottom) along the bus aisle towards the driver and the complainant and another passenger say he was shouting death threats.

However, the defendant claims his strong accent was misheard and he was repeatedly saying: "I won't kill you."

He told the jury: "I was shocked that someone had said I was going to kill him, I wanted to restrain him."

After Mr. Quadiovie fled the bus Mjola remained on the back seat and now admits he misunderstood the security guard's behaviour.

"Maybe because I was on medication and had drunk alcohol the night before I misinterpreted the whole situation.

"He doesn't know I thought he was having a fit and for him it must have been very traumatic and distressing and I can only apologise to him."

Mjola, of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Mr. Quadjovie as they travelled on the single decker bus on December 1, 2012.

Trial continues……………