MORE than 20 people have been fined hundreds of pounds each for dodging train fares – of just a few pounds – on the railways in Bradford in the past five months.

The majority of the fares dodged were less than £5, but rather than paying honestly for their travel the chancers all tried their luck at a free ride.

Unluckily for them, they didn’t get away with it, and were all dragged before court and slapped with fines of hundreds of pounds for their criminal behaviour.

Travelling on the railways without a ticket has been illegal for more than 130 years – when the Regulations of Railways Act 1889 was brought in – yet some people still don’t think the rules apply to them and get their just desserts, heavy fines.

A dozen were caught at Bradford Interchange, while a further 11 were caught at Bradford Forster Square station, copping total combined fines of £9,915.

Due in court on April 1 were two people: Sandu Ionut, 22, of Springmill Street, West Bowling; and Nicholas Carroll, 36, of Sowerby Bridge, who were both found guilty in their absence.

Ionut, on a trip from Ipswich to Bradford on September 16 last year, failed to hand over his ticket. He was told to pay a total of £508, a fine of £220, compensation of £104 to LNER, costs of £150 and a victim surcharge of £34.

Carroll caught a train from Thorne North to Bradford Interchange on November 12 without a ticket. He was ordered to pay £388.90 – a fine of £220, compensation of £18.90 to LNER, and £150 costs.

Next up on April 19 was Jamie Morris, 19, of Snodland in Kent, who didn’t get a ticket for his trip from there to Bradford on February 12. He was told to pay a total of £552.50 – a £220 fine, compensation to LNER of £148.50, £150 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

In on May 4 was 19-year-old Amina Grant, of Caldene Avenue, Low Moor, who travelled from Bradford Interchange to Blackpool without buying a ticket on October 15 last year.

She was ordered to pay £425.40; a £220 fine, compensation to Northern of £21.40, costs of £150, and a surcharge of £34.

June 18 was a bumper day of prosecutions, with ten people fined hundreds for dodging fares.

Samuel Lad, 28, of Delamare Street, Little Horton, didn’t pay his £4.60 fare on September 28, 2020, from Bradford Interchange to Leeds, and was fined £638.60 in total: a £440 fine, £4.60 compensation to Northern, £150 costs and a £44 victim surcharge.

Zaheed Ali, 19, of Glenton Square, Manningham, didn’t pay his fare from Leeds to Bradford on November 23; he was handed the same £638.60 fine as Lad.

On January 10, Ekyakye Assande, 18, didn’t pay his £4.60 fare on a trip from Leeds to Bradford Forster Square. He was also fined a total of £638.60.

Birone Mercedesz, 25, from Huddersfield, dodged a £3.50 fare from Halifax to Bradford on January 22, and as such has been fined £637.50 – a £440 fine, £3.50 compensation, costs of £150 and a £44 surcharge.

Gavin Gale, 22, of Ashgrove in the city centre, made the same journey and skipped the same fare on October 11 last year, and was handed the same £637.50 fine.

50-year-old Andrew Shaw, of Crag Road, Shipley, dodged a £2.80 fare from Shipley to Forster Square on October 5, 2020, and also lied about getting on the train at Frizinghall to a conductor.

He copped a £636.80 fine for his dishonesty, a £440 fine, £2.80 compensation, £150 costs and a £44 surcharge.

On the same date, Kerry Snowden, 36, of Manor Lane, Shipley, dodged the fare from Shipley to Forster Square and upon arrival tried to buy two tickets from Frizinghall and made other lies to staff.

She was handed the same £636.80 fine as Shaw for failing to pay a £2.80 fare.

Lewis Greenwood was fined a total of £637.50 after he dodged a £3.50 fare from Crossflatts to Forster Square on January 2.

The 32-year-old, of Glenroyd, Shipley, then bought a child’s ticket in Keighley which he tried to use on the journey, which fooled absolutely no one. He was fined £440, had to pay compensation of £3.50, costs of £150 and a surcharge of £44.

On November 29 last year, Anna Deacon, 36, of Woodside Avenue, Bingley, arrived at Forster Square without having bought a ticket. She changed her mind three times on where she had come from – “Shipley… no, Bingley… no, Frizinghall” – and used “being in a rush” as an excuse for not buying a ticket, before being rude to staff and attempting to tailgate off the platform.

She was ordered to pay £636.40 – a £440 fine, £2.40 compensation, £150 costs and surcharge of £44.

Liam Edmondson, 23, from Lingfield Approach, Leeds, was fined £812.40 for his behaviour making a journey from Forster Square to Kirkstall on October 15, 2020.

He boarded the train in Bradford but his ticket was only valid to Frizinghall and tried in vain to buy a ticket from the officer – who does not sell tickets – and was told if he didn’t give his details police would be summoned.

He got off at Shipley after being advised to, saying to the officer “you're a f**king joke, you could have just sold me a ticket” and gave false details twice before eventually giving correct ones.

He was found guilty of going beyond the distance paid, unacceptable behaviour on the railway, and giving false details, and was fined £600 and ordered to pay £2.40 compensation, £150 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

In court on July 12 was Kieran Tivnan, 27, from Blackburn, who admitted not having a ticket at Forster Square on November 8, 2019. He was fined £30 and order to pay £2.20 compensation to Arriva, costs of £150 and a surcharge of £32.

Six people were in court on July 19, all copping hefty fines for their behaviour.

Heather Mellor, 32, of Muirhead Drive, Holme Wood, travelled from Keighley to Bradford on January 24 without a ticket. She was fined a total of £637.50.

James Wade, 22, from Sowerby Bridge, didn’t get a £4 ticket on his trip from the town to Bradford on January 31, and was fined a total of £638.

Wenmin Lu, 20, of Claypit Lane, Leeds, travelled from Leeds to Forster Square with a 16-25 Railcard ticket, but without possessing a railcard, on February 10. She was fined a total of £638.60.

On January 7, Peter Wellham, 36, of Norman Street, Wrose, travelled from Shipley to Forster Square without buying a £2.80 ticket. He was fined a total of £636.80.

On January 14, 39-year-old Scott Watson of Ivy Grove, Leeds, travelled from Forster Square to Leeds without buying a ticket, claiming he had left his wallet at work. He was fined a total of £268.60.

Sigita Stepina, 29, of Gainsborough Close, Undercliffe, travelled from Leeds to Bradford on March 1 without a ticket, trying to blag her way through with an expired ticket.

She also said it belonged to her boyfriend, an additional offence, and was fined a total of £880.70.

Up on August 5 was Aleesha Nazir, 35, of Lambert Place, Undercliffe, for travelling without a ticket on May 25 at Bradford Interchange, and she was fined a total of £677.

Last up, on September 2, was Mohamed Alsuliman, 19, of Walden Drive, Heaton, who on May 15 was at Forster Square without a valid ticket, and received a total fine of £548.

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