Worcester woman fined £50 for not buying £6 rail ticket

Samantha Radford, of Mayfield Road, Worcester, appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday, (February 3). 

At the start of her hearing, the 29-year-old made a statutory declaration that she was unaware of a previous court hearing of her case in which she was fined £220 for the offence. 

When the case was reopened Radford admitted the offence of boarding a train in a non-compulsory ticket area without a valid ticket. 

STATION: Samantha Radford travelled from Malvern Link station without a rail ticket (Image: Newsquest)

The court clerk told magistrates the offence had been committed on October 5, 2021. 

Radford, who said she worked at Costa, was asked by magistrates about the offence.

The 29-year-old explained she had got on at Malvern Link that day travelling to Worcester Foregate Street. 

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Chairman of the magistrates bench, Libhin Bromley asked: "Why did you not buy a ticket?"

"It was absent-mindedness, after a long shift that day," Radford replied.

"I got on the train and tried to buy a ticket, but I was interviewed.

"It was just an error."

After short discussions on the magistrates bench the chairman announced Radford was being fined £76. 

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She was told to pay costs of £50, a victim surcharge of £34 and compensation of £6.10 - the cost of the rail ticket. 

Magistrates ordered her to pay the total, £166.10, at a rate of £10 a week with the first payment in 28 days.

Radburn said she had already paid £200 of the previous fine, but the court clerk explained she would have to wait for that money to be returned to her.