One of Britain’s most persistent rail fare evaders is facing potential imprisonment after admitting to numerous travel offenses.
Charles Brohiri, 29, made 112 journeys on Govia Thameslink trains without a valid ticket, Westminster Magistrates’ Court has heard.
The court was informed that he could be ordered to pay over £18,000 in unpaid fares and associated legal expenses.
District Judge Nina Tempia cautioned Brohiri that “a custodial sentence could be imposed given the sheer volume of offenses committed.”
Brohiri, a resident of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, entered a guilty plea to 76 charges while dressed in black on Thursday.
Each individual offense was read aloud, to which Brohiri responded quietly and repeatedly with “Guilty” over approximately 20 minutes.
This follows a previous hearing where he was convicted in absentia on 36 separate charges.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Judge Tempia rejected a motion from Brohiri’s legal team to overturn the initial 36 convictions.
The defense had argued that the prosecutions were unlawful due to being initiated by a lay prosecutor rather than a qualified legal professional.
However, Judge Tempia dismissed this argument, stating that there had been “no abuse of this court’s process.”
In her written ruling, she affirmed that “a lay prosecutor can commence proceedings.”
She further noted the “industry-wide use of non-authorised employees to lay informations which has been a long-standing process.”
A spokesperson for Govia Thameslink Railway welcomed the decision to uphold the 36 previous convictions.
The 112 charges span from February 2024 to November 2025, encompassing journeys between London and Brighton, as well as routes on the Thameslink lines into Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Furthermore, Brohiri is accused of continuing to evade fares in late November, December of last year, and in January, according to prosecutor Lyndon Harris.
The most recent alleged offense occurred just three days prior, on January 12, he stated.
During a hearing in August of the previous year, Brohiri was granted bail with the condition that he “not be present on or attempt to gain access to any train owned or operated by Govia Thameslink.”
He was released on bail under the same conditions as before, with instructions to return for sentencing on February 11.
In addition, he faces accusations of failing to pay fines amounting to £48,682 from separate prosecutions between August 2019 and April 2025.
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