A man described as one of Britain's most persistent train fare dodgers is now facing a potential prison sentence after admitting to 112 convictions for travelling without a ticket.
Two-Year Campaign of Fare Evasion
Charles Brohiri, a 29-year-old from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to failing to pay for rail journeys valued at more than £3,000. His offences took place on Govia Thameslink services between February 2024 and November 2025, covering routes from London to Brighton and on Thameslink lines into Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
In a hearing on Thursday, Brohiri, dressed in black, repeated the word "guilty" in a soft voice as each charge was read out. The process lasted around 20 minutes. District Judge Nina Tempia warned him that the sheer volume of offences meant he "now could face a custodial sentence".
Mounting Financial Penalties and Continued Offending
Brohiri's legal troubles extend far beyond the unpaid fares. Court documents reveal he could be ordered to repay the £3,266 in fares, plus a further £15,120 for the cost of bringing the 112 prosecutions. He is also accused of continuing to dodge fares in late November and December last year, and even in the days leading up to his court appearance.
Alarmingly, this campaign continued despite court orders designed to stop him. He was banned from entering Thameslink stations last April as a bail condition. In August, a judge imposed a specific condition banning him from boarding Thameslink trains, telling him: "It’s very important you take these bail conditions seriously – you don’t get on any train without having the money."
Previous Convictions and Failed Legal Challenge
Brohiri's history of fare evasion is extensive. He has pleaded guilty to 76 charges of failing to pay for a ticket and was convicted in his absence in August 2024 for a further 36 offences. On Thursday, Judge Tempia dismissed his attempt to have those earlier convictions overturned on a legal technicality, ruling there had been "no abuse of the court process".
In addition to the Thameslink case, Brohiri is accused of failing to pay fines worth £48,682 from separate court prosecutions between August 2019 and April 2025. At his sentencing, scheduled for 11 February, he is likely to ask for a further seven offences to be taken into consideration.
Judge Tempia has adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. Brohiri has been released on bail until that date, despite the last alleged fare dodging incident being recorded just three days ago, on 12 January 2026.
