Man climbed on stanchion at railway station bringing trains grinding to a halt at cost of £80,000
A man who held up trains by climbing on a stanchion at a major station costing the railway network £80,000 is due to be sentenced next month.
Orhan Bazo, from Shrewsbury, climbed onto an electrical stanchion at platform 5 at Crewe Railway Station on February 2, causing hold-ups that cost £1,000 for every minute that trains weren't running, a court heard.
Bazo, 27, was arrested and pleaded guilty two days later to a single count of obstructing the railway through an unlawful act. His sentencing has been delayed multiple times in the intervening two months so a psychiatric report on him can be prepared, and the latest hearing into the case was held at Telford Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Bazo, who is in custody, was not present in person or over a video link for the hearing, and defence advocate Mr Mike Surzyn told magistrates that an expert has been instructed to speak to Bazo and prepare a report with recommendations before he is sentenced.
The expert psychiatrist has been assigned to the case at a cost of £1,800, said Mr Surzyn, and "the next step is to go and see [Bazo] to prepare the report".
"I am told he is not well enough to come out of his cell to attend court," said Mr Surzyn.
He asked for the case to be adjourned again to the same court on May 3 and told magistrates that this latest delay to the case "should be the final adjournment".
"We're so close to having the report in our hands, it seems a shame not to take advantage of it."
Appearing for the prosecution, Mr James Morris said that the disruption had cost the authorities roughly £80,000, at a rate of £1,000 for every minute that trains were prevented from running.
Chair of the magistrates bench Mrs Helen Thompson agreed to adjourn the case to May 3, with Bazo to appear over a video link from prison.
