Jail for prolific cable thief with drug debt who caused rail chaos

Stephen White targeted railway lines in the Middleton area of West Yorkshire stealing copper cable which weighed in for only a few pounds as scrap metal.

But his actions helped caused chaos, leading to trains being cancelled, delay for rail users and contributing to the 15m bill faced by Network Rail each year for replacing stolen cable, Leeds Crown Court heard.

White, 37, of Bodmin Crescent, Leeds, admitted eight charges of theft between May 2007 and February 28 this year. Jailing him Judge Alastair McCallum said the sentence had to deter others from such actions which had put drivers, passengers and others involved in maintaining the rail network at risk.

He said White was extremely fortunate not to have faced more serious charges.

Heather Gilmore, prosecuting, told the court yesterday that during the period White was active there were 35 incident of copper and power cable thefts in the Ardsley area committed by him and others leading to 72 trains being cancelled.

Penalty costs paid by Network Rail to other companies as a result of the delays and cancellations were about 800,000 and they had now spent 444,000 laying cables underground to prevent such theft affecting signals and safety systems.

White was arrested in March this year after he was identified on covert films taken at theft scenes and on one occasion through his DNA.

That offence occurred on January 7 this year when 1,500 worth of cable was taken, affecting the CCTV system at Leeds station which cost 5,000 to repair. British Transport Police found a hat lying in the snow a short distance from the scene of the theft and close to drag marks. The DNA inside it was traced to White.

When he was arrested, receipts were found in his home showing he had weighed in scrap metal at two dealers. There was also cable found in his back garden where the sleeve had been burned off to expose the metal ready to be weighed in.

White said that stemmed back to 2007, and he claimed he stole cable as and when he needed extra cash, only taking small amounts that he could carry, often taking amounts that had already cut and left by others.

Sajid Majad, for White, said he had got addicted to amphetamines he was supplied at first free by travellers. They then demanded he pay for his past consumption.

The theft was the only way he could pay the significant debts he owed them and he had no idea of the expense and disruption his actions had caused. "He did not realise the consequences, he does now." After the case British Transport Police Det Insp Brian Buddo said White had "wrought havoc" on the railway to fund his drug habit giving no thought to the repercussions and dangers.

"The offences took place on one of the main railway lines in and out of Leeds which carries hundreds of thousands of passengers each year, meaning that every time White committed an offence he was affecting a crucial public service."

Richard Lungmoss, route director for Network Rail said White has caused significant disruption across Yorkshire over many months. "I am delighted that the judge has recognised the seriousness of this crime."