A MAN who failed to pay a £2.50 rail fare has been slapped with costs and fines totalling £886.50 after the case was taken to court.
Joshua Green, 26, of Bargates in Christchurch, travelled on a South West Trains service on May 31 2015, but didn't have a valid ticket for the trip.
As a result, the case was eventually handed to magistrates in Bournemouth, and a charge of travelling on a railway without paying a fare was proved in his absence on December 22.
Green was fined £540 for the offence, will pay compensation costs of £2.50, a £54 victim surcharge, costs of £140 and a criminal courts charge totalling £150.
Just two days after the defendant was convicted, the controversial criminal courts charge was scrapped by the government.
The charge is a mandatory, non-means tested fee ranging from £150 to £1,200 for convicted criminals.
Green's case was one of more than 25 relating to allegations of offences onboard trains brought before the magistrates court on just one day.
Scott Fincher, 41, of Gainsborough Avenue in New Milton, faces a fine of £440, compensation costs of £3.10, a £44 victim surcharge, costs of £140 and a criminal courts charge totalling £150 after travelling on a train without paying a fare of £3.10.
The charge was again proved in his absence.
Warren Rolfe, 19, of Pear Close in Poole, failed to pay a £2.30 rail ticket, and will now pay out a total of £886.30 after the charge of travelling on a railway without paying fare was proved in his absence.
Matthew Sparke-Egan failed to pay £7.50 when he travelled on a South West Trains service on May 31 2015.
The 46-year-old, of East Campbell Street in Glasgow, now faces costs and fines totalling £781.50.
In total, the cases of 11 people accused of failing to pay their rail fare were brought before magistrates, although several were adjourned.
Other charges before the court on the same day relate to failing or refusing to hand over a valid ticket not in a designated compulsory ticket area.
The cases of eight defendants charged under the bylaw were brought before the court.
Among them was Julian Belton of Hawkwood Road in Bournemouth.
The 42-year-old was convicted of the offence in his absence.
He was fined £220, will pay £4 in compensation, a £22 victim surcharge, costs of £140 and a £150 criminal courts charge.
A further eight defendants are accused of boarding a train in a non-compulsory ticket area without a valid ticket, including Peter Gaffney, 42, of Belle Vue Road in Bournemouth.
The charge, proved in his absence, relates to a journey made on May 29 2015 in Christchurch.
He will pay out a total of £317.30 by January 12 after a collection order was made by magistrates.
Finally, one man was charged with occupying a reserved seat without a valid ticket.
The case has been adjourned until a later date.
A spokesperson from South West Trains said all fines imposed are decided by magistrates.
"Every year, the honest majority of passengers are deprived of millions of pounds worth of potential improvements to their train services as a direct result of deliberate fare evasion," he said.
“It is a basic principle of rail travel in the UK that passengers must buy a valid train ticket before starting their train journey. Along with other train operators, South West Trains takes a firm but fair approach to dealing with those without a valid ticket.
"We will continue to work with the rest of the industry to tackle this serious issue."
