A year in jail for man who slept on the railway track
Drunk on the line leads to 66 cancelled trains and £41k bill
A DRUNK who fell asleep on a rail track thinking he was at home in bed has been jailed for a year.
Network Rail had to cancel 66 trains and pay £41,000 in compensation to passengers after Matthew Baddeley decided to have a snooze on the line.
The 33-year-old was lucky to escape with his life after a train driver spotted him and slammed on the brakes, leaving Baddeley without a scratch. When police arrived at Smethwick Galton Bridge Station in the West Midlands, Baddeley told them he thought he was at home.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court, it emerged that Baddeley did not remember anything about the drama which had unfolded at 9.30pm on May 23.
Wendy Miller, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant was found lying on the railway tracks at night by a driver who was passing through.
‘When police came to investigate he was plainly intoxicated and thought he was at home. His actions resulted in significant delays to services.’
The court heard that Baddeley, of Wolverhampton, had previously pleaded guilty to obstructing a carriage on a railway line and had a string of convictions.
Stephen Hamblett, defending, said: ‘ He readily accepts he was intoxicated on the day, even though he can’t remember it.
‘The comments made to the police about thinking he was at home, he can’t remember those either.’
Jailing Baddeley for a year, Judge Michael Challinor said he hoped the sentence would deter others, adding: ‘In terms of seriousness and culpability, this is a very serious incident and you are culpable.
‘There has been a loss of revenue to Network Rail which will no doubt find its way around to the rail user eventually.
‘It is difficult to gauge how much inconvenience you caused to individuals but it was a serious problem caused on an important rail route.’
After the hearing, Network Rail spokesman Jon Crampton said: ‘We fully support action to deter others from acting irresponsibly in the future.’
Sergeant Alun Jones, of British Transport Police, added: ‘Baddeley’s actions, fuelled by alcohol, not only caused disruption and inconvenience to hundreds of passengers, he also put his life and those who had to rescue him from the tracks, at serious risk.
‘I hope this sentence serves as a warning to anyone who trespasses on the railway and disrupts the day-to- day lives of the travelling public. The courts take a very dim view of such behaviour.’
‘Risked lives of those who rescued him’