A 21-year-old fare dodger who punched a train conductor in the mouth after being asked for his ticket has been given a suspended sentence. Finley Seggie attacked Peter Corley, a 62-year-old army veteran, on a York-bound train on December 14, 2024.
Mr Corley, a former custody inspector for West Yorkshire Police, asked Seggie and his friend to leave the train at East Garforth when they failed to produce tickets. Seggie responded with a volley of abuse before punching Mr Corley in the mouth, knocking out a tooth and causing £3,000 worth of dental damage.
Mr Corley, who had worked for Northern Trains since 2018, said the attack left him covered in blood and struggling to process what had happened. He later had to leave his job due to mental health struggles and now works as a supermarket customer team member and delivery driver.
Seggie was arrested on February 18 after being identified from CCTV footage. He initially claimed self-defence but later pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm. At Leeds Crown Court on May 5, he was given a 16-month suspended sentence.
Speaking after the sentencing, Mr Corley said he bore no grudge but would have preferred restorative justice. 'I would have liked to look him in the eye and ask why he did this,' he said.
