Train yobs fined after abusing mum

TRAIN operator 'one' today welcomed a court's decision to fine four Felixstowe men for turning a rail trip into a 25-minute journey from hell.John Askew, Daniel Flatman and Craig Peckham, all 22, and David Hembling, 21, appeared in South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to using threatening or abuse words or behaviour on a train travelling from Felixstowe to Ipswich on October 18 last year.

TRAIN operator 'one' today welcomed a court's decision to fine four Felixstowe men for turning a rail trip into a 25-minute journey from hell.

John Askew, Daniel Flatman and Craig Peckham, all 22, and David Hembling, 21, appeared in South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court and pleaded guilty to using threatening or abuse words or behaviour on a train travelling from Felixstowe to Ipswich on October 18 last year.

The quartet had been drinking after watching a telecast of one of England's games in the Rugby World Cup in Australia when they boarded the train from Felixstowe on their way to watch Ipswich Town play Stoke at home.

But the court heard that throughout the 25-minute journey they were loud and threatening to at least one passenger and her children.

Their comments toward her included "Do you reckon she's a prostitute?" and other remarks were described as "unpleasant".

Defending, Ian Duckworth told the court: "This is a day when yes they had been watching England play in the Rugby World Cup, yes they had been drinking, yes they were on a train which was packed on their way to see Ipswich Town play football. They, with some reluctance, accept their guilt.

"They thought they'd done nothing wrong. They said they'd been loud.

"What they'd thought they'd done was simply being a bit raucous in their behaviour."

Askew, of Estuary Drive, Flatman, of Cobbold Road, Hembling, of The Downs, and Packham, of Kersey Road, were all fined £150 each for their behaviour and ordered to pay £43 each toward the costs of the case after they pleaded guilty.

They were told their guilty pleas had led to the fines being reduced by a third of what they might have been.

In another hearing Adam Versey, 22, of Looe Road, Felixstowe, who had been travelling with the four but had not been drinking and was said to be involved to a lesser extent, was given a £150 bind-over and told to stay out of trouble for one year.

'One' welcomed the judgement, saying it sent a strong message to would-be offenders that unacceptable behaviour on trains would not be tolerated.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "Behaviour like that on the trains isn't acceptable and our passengers and staff shouldn't have to face that while travelling on trains.

"This result is very positive. Our passengers have a right to travel in safety and comfort.

"We're pleased a tough line has been taken and hopefully it will act as a warning."