A CHURCH-GOER WAS CAUGHT RED-HANDED WITH A #600

A CHURCH-GOER WAS CAUGHT RED-HANDED WITH A #600
STOLEN TRAVEL PASS AS HE RETURNED HOME FROM A SERVICE A COURT
HEARD.

NEVILLE THOMPSON, 50, OF THURLOW PARK ROAD, DULWICH WAS
TRAVELLING HOME ON THE BUS AFTER A SUNDAY SERVICE AT HIS LOCAL
BETHANY CHURCH ON DEC 29 LAST YEAR.

BUT WHEN A TICKET INSPECTOR BOARDED AND SAW THOMPSON’S TICKET
HE WAS SUSPICIOUS.

ON CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE TWO YEARS ALL ZONE TRAVEL CARD,
IT WAS FOUND TO BE ONE OF A NUMBER OF CARDS STOLEN FROM HORNSEY
BRITISH RAIL STATION, EARLIER THAT MONTH.

.

AT INNER LONDON CROWN COURT THOMPSON DENIED HANDLING
STOLEN PROPERTY CLAIMING HE HAD BOUGHT THE TRAVEL CARD
LEGITIMATELY FROM VICTORIA TRAIN STATION.

THOMPSON, A FORMER WORKER FOR FORD CARS, COULD PROVIDE NO
EVIDENCE TO PROVE HE HAD BOUGHT THE TICKET FROM VICTORIA
STATION.

AND NO RECORD OF THE PURCHASE COULD BE FOUND AT THE
VICTORIA TICKET OFFICE.

AFTER THOMPSON HAD BEEN FOUND GUILTY, MR ROY RAMKHALAWAN
DEFENDING, SAID: ‘EVERYTHING ABOUT MR THOMPSON SHOWS HIM
TO BE A MAN LIVING A VERY HONEST LIFE WHICH HAS NOW BEEN RUINED.

‘WHEN HE WAS MADE REDUNDANT HE SPENT HIS REDUNDANCY MONEY ON A
TRIP TO HIS ANCESTRAL HOME OF JAMAICA.

‘HE HAD VERY LITTLE MONEY LEFT ON RETURN TO HIS HOME IN
BRITAIN AND SUCCUMBED TO THE TEMPTATION OF GETTING A CHEAP
TRAVEL CARD.

‘
JUDGE ERIC HEWITT SAID: ‘IT IS VERY SAD WHEN A MAN OF YOUR

SPLENDID RECORD IS FOUND CONVICTED IN THIS OF SUCCUMBING TO THE

TEMPTATION OF GETTING SOMETHING CHEAPLY.

BECAUSE OF YOUR HITHERTO

GOOD CHARACTER I AM SATISFIED THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED YOUR LESSON.

‘
THOMPSON WAS FINED #100 AND ORDERED TO PAY #300 TOWARDS
PROSECUTION COSTS.

ENDS.