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One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.<\/p>\n
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket on Govia Thameslink train journeys a total of 112 times, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.<\/p>\n
He could be ordered to pay <\/b>more than \u00a318,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.<\/p>\n
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Brohiri, from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, <\/b>was dressed in black as he pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday. <\/p>\n
Each offence was read out to him, with Brohiri quietly and repeatedly replying “Guilty” for around 20 minutes.<\/p>\n
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.<\/p>\n
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.<\/p>\n
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.<\/p>\n
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.<\/p>\n
A Govia Thameslink Railway spokesperson welcomed decision to uphold previous 36 convictions.<\/p>\n
The 112 charges span from February 2024 to November 2025. They relate to journeys between London and Brighton, and on the Thameslink lines into Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.<\/p>\n
In addition, Brohiri is also accused of continuing to dodge fares in late November and December last year, and in January, prosecutor Lyndon Harris told the court.<\/p>\n
The most recent allegation was three days ago – on 12 January, he said.<\/p>\n
At a previous hearing in August last year, Brohiri was bailed and told “not to be present on or attempt to gain access to any train owned or operated by Govia Thameslink”.<\/p>\n
He was bailed on the same conditions as imposed at previous hearings, to return for sentencing on 11 February.<\/p>\n
In addition, he is accused of failing to pay fines worth \u00a348,682 from separate prosecutions between August 2019 and April 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n