Fare dodger, 21, avoids jail after punching train conductor in mouth | UK | News
Peter Corley, 62, had asked Finley Seggie, 21, and his friend to get off the train to York. (Image: SWNS)
A ticket taker who punched a train conductor in the mouth after being asked to show his ticket has escaped from prison. When Peter Corley, 62, could not obtain a ticket, he asked Finley Seggie, 21, and his friend to get off the train to York at the next stop.
But Seggie unleashed a barrage of expletives at him. army before the veteran challenged him and punched him in the mouth. Peter lost his tooth, needed £3,000 worth of dental work and was forced to leave his job following the attack on 14 December 2024. Seggie later pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm. Sentenced to 16 months suspended prison sentence Leeds Crown Court On May 5.
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Peter lost his tooth, needed £3,000 dental treatment and had to quit his job (Image: SWNS)
Peter, from York, said: “It was very shocking. It was a very hard punch. I’m sure he’s had some boxing training but he hasn’t learned the responsibility that comes with it.”
He said he didn’t really think it would happen, adding: “I saw him walking towards me with a crooked, nasty grin on his face, then it all happened so fast.
“I just remember watching my tooth pop out of my mouth. It happened so fast I had a really hard time registering it.”
The grandfather, who was a Corporal in the army in the 1980s, retired from his job as a custody inspector with West Yorkshire Police in 2015.
He started working at Northern Trains in 2018 and says his voice is used even in automatic announcements.
Peter told Seggie and his friend that the train had a nice “pre-Christmas vibe” before asking them for their tickets. He told his friend Peter that they had no money.
Peter told them to get off at the next station, East Garforth. Recalling the attack, he said: “He grinned, then punched me. I fell back and he ran away.”
“My glasses flew away and when I bent down to pick them up, my knees slipped out from under me. The people on the train were very shocked. There was blood everywhere.”
After the attack, a passenger helped Peter and called the police. Peter continued to work for the remainder of his journey to York; here he met officers from the British Transport Police and took a taxi to York Royal Infirmary.
Peter lost his upper right incisor and had to get a bridge. He said Northern Trains footed the £3,000 bill for dental repairs.
Seggie was arrested on 18 February after being identified from CCTV and charged with ABH. He claimed he punched Peter in self-defense but later admitted the charge.
Peter said he was forced to leave his job as a chef in May last year due to mental health issues caused by the incident. He currently works as a supermarket customer team member and delivery driver.
On his old job, he said: “Being a ticket inspector is a very difficult job – there is a lot to do and you really focus on helping people.
“Most of the time you’re out there on your own, dealing with all sorts of things, including being threatened with a knife.”
Peter said: “Most people operating outside the law are perfectly ordinary good people who have chosen the wrong path for a variety of reasons.
“I don’t hold a grudge against him. I’m happy with the outcome, but in the interest of restorative justice, I would have preferred to meet him face to face, look him in the eye and ask him why he did this.”
