A Westminster court rejects a legal challenge as a prolific fare evader awaits sentencing
A man described in court as one of Britain’s most persistent train fare evaders could face a custodial sentence after admitting dozens of offences and failing in a legal bid to overturn earlier convictions.
Charles Brohiri, 29, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded guilty to 76 charges of failing to purchase a valid rail ticket. Those admissions came in addition to 36 offences for which he had already been convicted in his absence last year, leaving him with 112 convictions in total.
The court heard that the offences related to journeys made on services operated by Govia Thameslink Railway between February 2024 and November 2025. Prosecutors said Brohiri failed to pay fares totalling about £3,266. He is also accused of not paying fines from separate prosecutions brought between August 2019 and April 2025, amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.
District Judge Nina Tempia told the court that, given the scale and persistence of the offending, Brohiri could now face a custodial sentence. Court documents indicate he may also be ordered to repay unpaid fines and court costs totalling more than £15,000.
Despite being subject to bail conditions imposed last April that banned him from entering Thameslink stations, the court was told Brohiri continued to evade fares. Further restrictions introduced in August prohibited him from boarding Thameslink trains altogether. Prosecutors said alleged offences continued into December and January, with the most recent incident said to have occurred just days before the hearing. The unpaid journeys included routes between London and Brighton and services on Thameslink lines in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Brohiri also sought to challenge the lawfulness of 36 earlier convictions, arguing they had been brought by “lay prosecutors” who were not qualified solicitors or barristers. His lawyer relied on the Mazur case, contending that the prosecutions were invalid under the Legal Services Act.
Judge Tempia rejected that argument. She ruled that the criminal procedure rules permitted non-legally qualified individuals to commence such proceedings as exempt persons, and that parliament had not intended to invalidate this type of prosecution. The judge also dismissed claims that the case amounted to an abuse of process.
In a statement, Govia Thameslink Railway said it welcomed the court’s decision to uphold the convictions and noted that Brohiri now stood convicted of 112 fare evasion offences. The operator said ticketless travel on its network was at its lowest level since 2022.
Brohiri was granted bail, with sentencing adjourned until 11 February.