A man described as one of Britain's most prolific railway fare dodgers, with accumulated fines exceeding £30,000, has been warned he could be imprisoned if he steps onto another train.
A staggering record of evasion
Charles Brohiri, 28, has been formally prohibited from entering any property owned, leased, or managed by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). This ban encompasses all Thameslink, Southern, and Great Northern rail services, a network stretching from the South Coast to Peterborough.
The prohibition order comes after Brohiri was caught travelling without a valid ticket on an astonishing 180 separate occasions over the past two years. Prosecutors presented the court with a dossier detailing every instance. Despite being arrested and brought to court on March 30, where he was bailed for sentencing, he was subsequently spoken to by officials a further 13 times for the same offence.
Legal battle and adjourned sentencing
Brohiri's sentencing, scheduled for May, has now been adjourned until next month after his legal team launched a dramatic counter-argument. His barrister, Eleanor Curzon, contended that GTR had itself committed a criminal offence by prosecuting him.
Ms Curzon argued that GTR breached the Legal Services Act 2007 by using a lay prosecutor—a non-lawyer—to conduct litigation against Brohiri. She described her client as "an unrepresented member of the public being subjected to a private prosecution by a large organisation".
GTR's barrister, Peter Ratliff, acknowledged the use of a lay prosecutor but cited a specific exemption under Criminal Procedure Rules that permits the practice. He stated there was a "clear basis" for it and that the defendant had "entirely failed to identify any possible prejudice or unfairness".
Life beyond the ticket gates
In court, Brohiri, who previously lived in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, stated he is now homeless, possesses no mobile phone, and can only access the internet at public libraries. However, he also promotes himself online as a rapper under the name Rvre Dean, who released his first EP in 2018.
An online profile describes his music as "melodic, trippy, soulful, and authentic" and notes that despite his homelessness, he is "into fashion". It states he has signed with a model agency and curated his own fashion brand, ClvssyMvrty, in 2016.
When questioned in May about his well-presented appearance and whether a charity had provided his clothes, Brohiri replied, "Nah, these are, like, some things I had." The court heard that he had "clearly disregarded whatever happened in March" and continued to board trains.
The previous record for a rail fare evasion fine was £10,000 in southern Essex. While higher sums have been repaid in the past to avoid prosecution, these typically involved initial fines of only a few hundred pounds, making Brohiri's £30,000 debt exceptionally large.
