A BANKING accountant and company director has admitted a fare dodging offence.

Brian Turner, 65, was travelling from Skipton to his home in Morpeth, Northumberland, with two tickets, one of them bought some days in advance, for his journey, York magistrates heard.

But, said Andy Ellis, prosecuting for CrossCountry Trains, they did not cover the entire journey and Turner knew that he did not have a valid ticket for the stretch between Leeds and York when he boarded a train at Leeds.

Turner, who runs a banking consultancy and is a qualified accountant, of Wansdyke, Morpeth pleaded guilty to fare dodging between Skipton and York on June 20 with intent to avoid paying.

Magistrates gave him an absolute discharge, saying the court case and the criminal conviction was sufficient punishment. They ordered him to pay the £9.05 he hadn’t paid of his fare and £30 prosecution costs. The full fare between Skipton and Morpeth is £60.20.

Mr Ellis said Turner had three chances to buy a ticket covering the Leeds to York stretch before boarding the train.

Turner said he hadn’t seen York on the list of destinations on the Skipton ticket machine. He had offered to buy a ticket on the CrossCountry service when the guard asked to see one, but he had refused to take payment.

Mr Ellis said guards were allowed to refuse payment if they believed a passenger had deliberately not bought a ticket before getting on a train.