Brexit protester who caused £1m worth of rail disruption jailed
A Brexit protester who caused £1m worth of disruption to train services between London, Kent and France has been jailed for one year.
Terry Maher, 44, climbed on top of a tunnel overlooking railway lines near St Pancras station, blocking trains between the UK and France and causing disruption that affected about 22,000 people.
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Maher, from Camden, climbed on to the tunnel with a St George’s flag, power banks for his phone and and warm clothing. He stayed there for 13 hours.
His protest caused 88 trains to be delayed to commuters and holidaymakers heading to and from France, leaving many international passengers using Eurostar services stranded overnight in London.
Maher was found guilty of malicious obstruction of the railway and was sentenced to one year in jail at Blackfriars Crown Court today.
Detective Sergeant Dean Percival said: “This has been described as the single most expensive incident in the history of high-speed railway in Britain.
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“However, not only did it cost the rail industry, it also cost thousands of commuters and holiday-makers their time, significantly delaying their journeys and leaving them stranded at stations desperate for the situation to be resolved.
“Maher’s selfish actions profoundly impacted the day to day lives of the public; that impact is what he was brought to court to answer for.”
Main image credit: British Transport Police