A man who was hit with an incredible £703 fine after failing to pay for a £2.60 train ticket said he’d rather go to jail than pay up.
Terry Harrison, 45, says he hoped to avoid a large taxi fare by taking a Merseyrail train from Sandhills to Birkenhead in August.
But when he and his son got off at Moorfields to change trains, they were stopped by security guards and given an immediate £100 penalty notice for travelling without a ticket.
Mr Harrison explained: ‘My son had a meeting over in Hamilton Square. I got a taxi down to his, he said keep the taxi on and I said no chance, too expensive. So we just walked down to Sandhills.
‘We went to pay as you do, but there was nobody in the paying window. We were running late; we heard the train coming so we ran to the platform – we just expected to pay at the other side.’
Mr Harrison said he wasn’t worried as he used the service every day, and had never encountered issues when he paid after a journey.
He was shocked when he was handed a £100 penalty fare, which Merseyrail warned may be issued if a passenger travels without a valid ticket.
Mr Harrison said: ‘We said we’d run up to the desk and pay now but [the guard] said no, no. So I gave him my name and he came back with my address and my date of birth and started reading me my rights.
‘To be honest I got a bit on my high horse. I asked him where he got my information and he just kept telling me I had the right to remain silent. I took the slip and that was that. But it was just eating away at me. I was waiting to see what was going to come of it.’
After failing to pay the £100 fine, Mr Harrison was charged with failing to produce a ticket and was sent a letter from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service inviting him to plead guilty or not guilty.
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Mr Harrison ignored the second letter as well, and was charged £703.40 by the courts on October 14.
He received a further letter on November 7 from the courts warning him that, as he had not paid the hefty charge, a warrant could be issued for the seizure of his property, including his car.
It also warned deductions could be made from his income or benefits, and that his name could be added to the Registry of Judgments, Orders and Fines, affecting his ability to obtain credit.
It also warned the continued refusal to pay could result in the charge being bumped up to £1,055.10, and a warrant being issued for his arrest.
He said: ‘I’m willing to pay the fare, nothing else. I don’t want to be extorted, but I’m willing to pay the fare, which I said at the start.
‘I don’t dodge train tickets. I just feel it is wrong and that’s why I’m willing to fight it in court myself. Even if it puts me in jail, I’m fed up of it.’
Suzanne Grant, commercial director at Merseyrail, said: ‘Whilst we can’t discuss individual cases, anyone issued a penalty is provided with clear information about how to pay.
‘The fine is £100 but reduces to £50 if paid within the first 21 days. Anyone issued a penalty is also given clear information on how they can appeal the decision through an independent appeals service.’
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