Britain’s serial fare dodger faces jail after admitting 112 unpaid train journeys

A man described in court as one of the country’s most persistent fare evaders is now facing the prospect of a prison sentence after admitting to a vast catalogue of unpaid train journeys spanning almost two years.

Charles Brohiri, 29, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he accepted responsibility for failing to pay rail fares worth more than £3,000 on Govia Thameslink services between February 2024 and November last year. The offences relate to repeated journeys, including services linking London and Brighton as well as routes running through Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

Dressed entirely in black, Brohiri entered the courtroom and went on to plead guilty to dozens of charges. Speaking quietly, he replied “guilty” as each offence was read out by the court’s legal adviser, a process that took around 20 minutes to complete.

District Judge Nina Tempia warned the scale of the offending placed Brohiri at real risk of custody, saying he now could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed.

The court heard Brohiri may also be ordered to repay not only the unpaid fares, calculated at £3,266, but also prosecution costs of £15,120 linked to bringing 112 separate cases. Additional court fees could push the total financial liability much higher.

Beyond the Thameslink offences, Brohiri, who is from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, is also accused of failing to pay £48,682 in fines arising from unrelated prosecutions pursued through the courts between August 2019 and April 2025.

Despite being placed under strict bail conditions, the offending is said to have continued. In April last year, Brohiri was banned from entering Thameslink stations, and in August a judge reinforced that restriction by explicitly prohibiting him from boarding Thameslink trains. At the time, the court warned him:

“It’s very important you take these bail conditions seriously – you don’t get on any train without having the money.”

Prosecutors told the court those conditions were repeatedly breached, with allegations of further fare evasion in late November and December, and again just days before Thursday’s hearing. The most recent allegation is said to date from January 12.

Brohiri has now pleaded guilty to 76 charges of failing to pay for a rail ticket. He was also convicted in his absence of a further 36 offences in August 2024.

Judge Tempia adjourned sentencing until February 11 to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared, which will assess whether a custodial sentence is appropriate given the persistent nature of the offending.

Image: Govia Thameslink Railway