Ex-rail Worker Guilty of Arson

[Coxster]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6271281.stm

Ex-railway worker guilty of arson

A former rail worker has been found guilty of putting lives at risk during a spate of vandal attacks which caused widespread delays on the railways.
But Allan Nicol, 48, from Birmingham, has been cleared of a charge of reckless criminal damage.

Nicol previously admitted cutting cables and setting fire to signalling equipment in 12 attacks over 17 months across the West Midlands.

He will be sentenced on 7 March at Birmingham Crown Court.

His vandalism cost the railway industry millions of pounds, with nearly 7,000 train services cancelled or delayed.

Some major routes, including the West Coast Main Line, were disrupted for several days.

Anger at firm

Nicol, who worked for a railway maintenance contractor and then a railways recruitment firm, denied two charges - of reckless criminal damage, and arson being reckless as to whether lives would be endangered.

The prosecution had claimed a fire in 2005 in the relay room in Rugeley, Staffordshire, which contained signalling equipment, could have caused an explosion.

Nicol had admitted 12 charges of criminal damage.

The court heard Nicol was angry that Network Rail was not using the recruitment firm for which he worked and at being made redundant.

He was arrested after dropping a receipt for a snack at the scene of one fire in Rugeley, Staffordshire, which was started on 3 November 2005.

Severe disruption

The vandalism attacks took place in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, the West Midlands and Worcestershire during 2004 and 2005, and had a knock-on effect over a massive area of the rail network.

After the trial a Network Rail spokesman said: "These attacks caused severe disruption for thousands of passengers across the West Midlands and beyond.

"They cost the railway industry millions of pounds, money that would otherwise have been invested back into the network to improve services for passengers.

"Sustained malicious attacks of this nature are extremely rare and we thank the British Transport Police for their role in bringing the culprit to justice."

'Determined saboteur'

The father-of-six has been told to expect a lengthy prison sentence.

Judge Robert Orme told him there was a lack of sufficient explanation as to why he carried out the attacks, adding his response to his anger was "extraordinary".

Det Supt Michael Field of British Transport Police said he led a "detailed and protracted investigation into a sustained attack on the rail system by a determined saboteur".

He added that Nicol's campaign of vandalism was unlike anything the British Transport Police had seen before.

"Normal vandalism is not targeted, it is random," he said.

"He targeted his attacks to cause as much delay and disruption as possible to hurt Network Rail."

 

[yorkie]

"lengthy" had better mean lengthy!

 

[Ascot]

Only happens in the Midlands

 

[Guinness]

"lengthy" had better mean lengthy!

He'll get a "Lengthy" term but the way the current Prision System is heading I doubt he'll serve most, if not all his sentence.

He'll be out in 3 years for "Good Behaviour" along with Rapists and Major Drug Dealers.

What's the answer to our overcrowded prisions? Build more of them....

 

[Mojo]

If people weren't let out early, what incentives would there be for good behaviour?

 

[Respite]

If people weren't let out early, what incentives would there be for good behaviour?

Jaffa cakes on friday's ?


As for this bloke,he was a complete arse! I was working for notwork fail as an ops manager in the midlands when this started. We all got DNA tested & had to account where we were at given times(including BTP interviews) because of him.Also getting lineside to sort out normal faults was a pain in the neck as we had to get authorisation to go trackside & be checked into & out of site which added major delay time onto the original problem. Mind You we were all trying to catch him to get the massive reward that was on offer from NR at the time. In the end it turned out he worked in a contractors area next to my old NR office at Walsall!!

 

[The Snap]

What's the answer to our overcrowded prisions? Build more of them....

Or in the government's case, let a few inmates out here and there, and just hope they don't do any thing stupid again. :razz:

 

[metrocammel]

He'll be out in 3 years for "Good Behaviour" along with Rapists and Major Drug Dealers.

What's the answer to our overcrowded prisions? Build more of them....

Well, everyone knows my views on what they should do with murderers.... and it aint build more prisons
Eye for an eye works fine IMO.....