Two members of station staff at Carlisle were left traumatised when they were told they would be ‘hurt’ along with ‘a lot of other people’, when they attempted to explain to John Joseph Nolan that he’d need to pay for a ticket to travel to his destination. Nolan is now behind bars.
Nolan, aged 24, of Grove Road, Ramsgate, Kent, appeared via videolink for sentencing at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 13 February. He was jailed for eight weeks.
On Thursday, 25 July last year, Nolan had travelled from Glasgow without a ticket or means to pay for one. Following a routine ticket check he was told he would have to leave the service when it reached Carlisle.
At the station, two staff members were explaining how he would need to purchase a ticket at the station to get back to Burnley.
He became aggressive and verbally abusive, threatening that he would hurt the staff members and ‘a lot of people’.
Nolan then made reference to knives and while he was being escorted from the station he threated to return and ‘knife’ the pair, before kicking the window of a florist shop on the station concourse.
Nolan was arrested and later admitted the offences of threatening behaviour and attempted criminal damage.
Investigating officer PC Lee Ballentine said: “Nolan’s shocking and threatening behaviour was absolutely uncalled for. He was being advised by staff on how to make his way to his destination when he began making horrendous threats. These two members of staff were just doing their job and were left shaken by Nolan’s threatening outburst. Staff have every right to go to work without fear of violence and we will do everything we can to investigate offenders like this and bring them to justice.
“The sentence handed down demonstrates how seriously the courts view knife crime and threats of any kind made against the public or rail staff. Everyone has the right to travel safely on the railway.”
