Man jailed for causing 'havoc' on rail tracks

A man has been jailed for causing peak-time "havoc" on the railway after trespassing on the tracks between Bradford and Leeds.

Dylan McNamara, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he admitted walking onto the tracks near Bradford interchange station in July, Bradford Crown Court heard.

McNamara pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance in connection, with prosecutor Oliver Connor telling the court the cost of the disruption was more than £30,000.

Mr Connor said McNamara, of Sunbridge Road, Bradford, had been identified by British Transport Police as having been involved in "numerous" previous incidents.

The court heard police were called to Bradford Interchange at about 15:30 BST on 31 July, following reports a man had walked off the platform in the direction of Leeds.

A driver had tried to persuade McNamara to get on his train, but he refused and the incident resulted in a full line blockage during peak time.

The delays caused totalled over 1,500 minutes and led to five full train cancellations and 15 part cancellations, Mr Connor added.

McNamara, who had previous convictions for hoax calls, wasting police time and trespass on the railway, was initially detained under the Mental Health Act after it was suggested that he had wanted to take his own life.

At the time of the offence, McNamara was under the influence of diazepam after being given the medication following a mental health assessment that morning.

It was submitted that his mental health issues had contributed to the offence and he had now expressed significant remorse for his behaviour.

The court heard that McNamara suffered from depression and anxiety and had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The judge, Recorder David Gordon, said McNamara had previously breached a suspended sentence order in 2021 and he had no confidence that he would comply with the requirements of another similar order.

"You must have known what havoc you would cause to the railway network," he told McNamara.

Recorder Gordon said McNamara's mental health had not been helped by his use of cannabis since he was 13 and by the fact that he was also a binge drinker.

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