Trowbridge railway vandal avoids jail sentence

A man who was involved in throwing an industrial wheelie bin on to the train line has escaped jail after failing to do his community order.

Matthew Robinson, formerly of Painters Mead, Hilperton, was put on the 18 month programme in June after admitting endangering the lives of railway passengers.

But the 21-year-old has been given another chance after he was found to be in breach of the order for a second time by the probation service.

And Judge Douglas Field, sitting at Swindon Crown Court yesterday, warned him “Take it from me, if you don’t take advantage of this and you are in breach again you will be in custody.”

Robinson and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were messing about on the platform at Trowbridge station in October last year.

In the early hours of the morning they hurled the heavy bin on to the track and left it there across the lines.

About four hours later a freight train pulling eighteen empty 100 ton wagons smashed into the obstruction which got wedged under the locomotive.

The incident before the morning rush caused chaos across the network and First Great Western had to hire coaches to move passengers past the blockage.

In total it was estimated that Network Rail and the train companies spent just short of £40,000 as a result of the incident.

When he was sentenced another judge put Robinson on an 18 month community order with supervision.

He was also ordered to do a think first programme, an alcohol treatment requirement, 80 hours of community service and a weekend curfew for six months.

But the court heard that he had been on the run since mid November after he failed to attend court having been breached for failing to attend appointments.

Despite it being his second breach the probation serviced said they would continue to work with him and asked he go on a motivation enhancement activity requirement.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said his client had almost completed the community service but was having problems with accommodation.

He said he had been thrown out by his parents and was sofa surfing, currently living with a pal on Kingsdown Road, Trowbridge.

Mr Pulsford said he had been hoping to get work but couldn’t sign on with an agency because he had lost his passport and couldn’t afford a replacement.

The judge allowed the order to continue with the extra requirement and gave Robinson the warning that he could be jailed if he failed again.