SERIAL FARE DODGER WARNED OF JAIL FOR UNPAID FINES

Charles Brohiri, 29, has been warned he could be imprisoned if he fails to pay outstanding fines totalling £34,486.60. Brohiri appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday for an assessment of his ability to pay a fine of £3,629.60 imposed in February, when he received a three-month suspended prison sentence. District Judge Nina Tempia told Brohiri that failure to pay would result in immediate imprisonment, a warning she had previously issued.

Brohiri holds more than 100 convictions for not paying train fares. Between February 2024 and November last year, he failed to pay fares valued at more than £3,000 on Govia Thameslink Railway services. Originally from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, Brohiri has been homeless for several years. When asked why he had not yet paid any fines or compensation owed, Brohiri told the court that his referral from probation to receive benefits had been delayed. He committed to paying £5 weekly from 31 July.

Judge Tempia ordered a further means inquiry for 27 August, by which date she said £20 should have been paid towards the outstanding amount. At his February sentencing, Judge Tempia stated that Brohiri's offending was "brazen and persistent" and that he appeared to view his conduct as "self-entitlement". The judge noted that a pre-sentence report indicated some insight into his crimes and that probation support could assist him.