Man who pushed trolley onto a Metro track avoids hard labour
A man who pushed a shopping trolley onto Metro tracks in Sunderland has been handed a new punishment that means he will avoid hard labour.
Drunken Martin Bryant’s dangerous antics at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light station forcedthedrivertogetoutand dislodge it.
ButBryant,25,ofBrinkburn Crescent,Burnside,Houghton, was captured committing the offenceonCCTVat10.30pmon Wednesday, April 21.
He turned himself in to police after he heard they had launched a public appeal to catch the culprit.
Bryant was prosecuted under the Victorian-era Offences Against the Person Act 1861, which carries a sentence of up to two years’ hard labour.
But he has instead been handedaCommunityAlternative to Short Prison Sentence (CAPS)bymagistratesinSouth Tyneside.
His sentence includes a 24-month community order, along with 25 rehabilitation days and a 12-month alcohol treatment programme.
Bryant was also fined £80, with a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs. He must also pay £50 compensation to the driver.
Bryant had been at the station with another man who kicked a bottle onto a Metro track in Sunderland moments before the trolley incident.
JordanPearson,ofBelstone Court, Silksworth, Sunderland,kickedthebottleontothe
line where it landed on sleepers between rails.
Pearson, 23, had tried to stop Bryant, 25, from carrying out his own act, his solicitor claimed.
SpeakingatPearson’shearing at South Tyneside Magistrates
Court, prosecutor Jonathan Stirland said: “Mr Pearson is seen on CCTV to kick a bottle onto the railway, landingonlines,beforehiscolleague then pushes the trolley.
Pearson pleaded guilty to unlawfully throwing a glass bottle likely to cause damage or injury to persons or propertybelongingtoNetworkRail.
He was prosecuted under the British Transport CommissionAct1949foranoffence whichcarriesamaximumpenalty of 40 shillings.
Joanne Gatens, defending Pearson, said: “It was a foolish actbythisdefendant.Hewould say that he told the other defendant not to throw the shopping trolley onto the lines.”
Pearson was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge, with £85 court costs and a £22 victim surcharge.