An easily-led lout who pushed a shopping trolley onto a Metro rail track has been hit with a new-style punishment to spare him “prison tonight”.
Martin Bryant, 25, shoved it onto the line at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light station while drunk at 10.30pm on Wednesday, April 21.
His danger antics forced the driver to get out and dislodge it, but no injuries, damage or major disruption was caused.
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Bryant has become one of the first criminals in the region to receive a Community Alternative to Short Prison Sentence (CAPS).
The programme offers bespoke support to offenders who would otherwise serve a short spell behind bars and come out without work to rehabilitate.
It launched at the start of January in South Tyneside and Newcastle, and runs until early next year.
The sentence – as well as an order to pay £50 compensation to the driver - was imposed by magistrates in South Tyneside.
Prosecutor Paul Anderson said: “It’s caught on CCTV. It’s Metro premises, and he’s seen to push this trolley and push it onto the actual tracks.
“It’s such a danger that fortunately the driver manages to request a block on the line. He gets the trolley off the line.
“It’s a risk of causing a serious incident, possibly the derailment of the train but fortunately it doesn’t get to that.
“When asked why he had done it, he said, ‘I don’t know’.
“Putting a shopping trolley on a rail line would be seen by any right thinking person as a serious offence.”
At an earlier hearing, Bryant pleaded guilty to an 1861 charge of endangering the safety of a person conveyed by railway and was warned jail was a possibility.
He acted in tandem with friend Jordan Pearson, 23, of Belstone Court, Silksworth, Sunderland, who kicked a bottle onto the same track.
On Friday, 28th January, Pearson pleaded guilty to unlawfully throwing a glass bottle likely to cause damage or injury to persons or property belonging to transport firm Network Rail.
He was sentenced to a 12-month conditional discharge, with £85 court costs and a £22 victim surcharge.
Ian Cassidy, defending Bryant, said: “It’s an offence that could have had much more serious repercussions.
“You’ve read the report, it’s quite clear that Mr Bryant has a number of defects including around his emotional wellbeing and alcohol. He is vulnerable and easily led.
“He tells me he got drunk with his co-defendant, he says they were both intoxicated.
“They had the idea to catch the trolley when it was pushed, and he would push it back.
“There was no plan, but he says that the other person said for him to push it onto the track and to hide his face. He tells me he’s easily led.”
Magistrates told Bryant his had been a “very serious” offence which could have “been prison tonight”, but they accepted locking him up would likely do no good.
Bryant’s CAPS includes a 24-month community order, with 25 rehabilitation days and a 12-month alcohol treatment programme.
He was fined £80, with a £95 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
