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Fare dodger who forged his own fake first class train tickets at home using a computer is ordered to pay back £17,000 - or go to prison for a year
Mark Mason travelled first class across the country using his forged tickets
Police had become suspicious after noticing various ticket discrepancies
A search of his home revealed computer software used to create forgeries
Mason was ordered to pay £17,884 over six months or face a year in jail
By Hannah Parry For Mailonline
Published: 15:51, 5 March 2015 | Updated: 18:56, 5 March 2015
A fare dodger who was caught forging his own first class train tickets has been ordered to pay back £17,000.
Mark Mason, 44, parked in executive car parks and enjoyed luxury travel across the country for free using the fake first class rail and parking tickets.
A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated forgery set-up which included fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, computers and printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board.
Fare dodger Mark Mason parked in executive car parks and enjoyed first class travel using tickets he forged at home. Pictured: Four of Mason's fake seasons tickets, which allowed him to travel from Doncaster
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Fare dodger Mark Mason parked in executive car parks and enjoyed first class travel using tickets he forged at home. Pictured: Four of Mason's fake seasons tickets, which allowed him to travel from Doncaster
Now Mason has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges relating to 85 tickets used over a period of 21 months.
At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison.
Detective Constable David Williams, a financial investigator said: 'This sentence sends a clear message to anyone thinking of trying to evade payment of train fares and parking that it really isn't worth it.'
A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated set-up to make the fake train travel and parking tickets, including a software package which allowed him to design the counterfeit tickets (pictured)
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A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated set-up to make the fake train travel and parking tickets, including a software package which allowed him to design the counterfeit tickets (pictured)
After raiding Mason's home, police found fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board, which were all used in the ticket-making process
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After raiding Mason's home, police found fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board, which were all used in the ticket-making process
Mason, of Hatfield, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years.
He has also been ordered to carry out 240 hours unpaid work and a 12-day restorative justice course at Sheffield Crown Court.
The British Transport Police investigation began in autumn 2013 when East Coast Trains station support staff saw Mason's black Vauxhall Meriva car on several occasions in the Executive Car Park at Doncaster train station.
Various ticket discrepancies were noted including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid.
Replicating the real tickets, Mason used software to change the details on the ticket in order to get free travel. He included the type of ticket, the date, the price, the journey and the printing date (pictured)
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Replicating the real tickets, Mason used software to change the details on the ticket in order to get free travel. He included the type of ticket, the date, the price, the journey and the printing date (pictured)
But inspectors noticed various ticket discrepancies, including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid
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But inspectors noticed various ticket discrepancies, including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid
BTP was informed and in December an officer spotted the car and approached Mason when he returned to his vehicle later that day.
He was arrested on suspicion of fraud offences and a search of the car revealed 10 further tickets believed to have been forged.
Forensic examination of the computer devices found at his home revealed Mason had used the computers to produce forged travel and parking tickets.
The offences were committed between March 24, 2011, and December 19, 2013.
Mason used the software to forge the back of the train ticket in meticulous detail (pictured). He has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges
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Mason used the software to forge the back of the train ticket in meticulous detail (pictured). He has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges
At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison. Pictured: The list of fake tickets stored on Mason's computer
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At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison. Pictured: The list of fake tickets stored on Mason's computer
Read more: Fare dodger who forged fake first class tickets ordered to pay £17k | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Fare dodger who forged his own fake first class train tickets at home using a computer is ordered to pay back £17,000 - or go to prison for a year
Mark Mason travelled first class across the country using his forged tickets
Police had become suspicious after noticing various ticket discrepancies
A search of his home revealed computer software used to create forgeries
Mason was ordered to pay £17,884 over six months or face a year in jail
By Hannah Parry For Mailonline
Published: 15:51, 5 March 2015 | Updated: 18:56, 5 March 2015
A fare dodger who was caught forging his own first class train tickets has been ordered to pay back £17,000.
Mark Mason, 44, parked in executive car parks and enjoyed luxury travel across the country for free using the fake first class rail and parking tickets.
A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated forgery set-up which included fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, computers and printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board.
Fare dodger Mark Mason parked in executive car parks and enjoyed first class travel using tickets he forged at home. Pictured: Four of Mason's fake seasons tickets, which allowed him to travel from Doncaster
+7
Fare dodger Mark Mason parked in executive car parks and enjoyed first class travel using tickets he forged at home. Pictured: Four of Mason's fake seasons tickets, which allowed him to travel from Doncaster
Now Mason has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges relating to 85 tickets used over a period of 21 months.
At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison.
Detective Constable David Williams, a financial investigator said: 'This sentence sends a clear message to anyone thinking of trying to evade payment of train fares and parking that it really isn't worth it.'
A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated set-up to make the fake train travel and parking tickets, including a software package which allowed him to design the counterfeit tickets (pictured)
+7
A search of the fraudster's home revealed a sophisticated set-up to make the fake train travel and parking tickets, including a software package which allowed him to design the counterfeit tickets (pictured)
After raiding Mason's home, police found fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board, which were all used in the ticket-making process
+7
After raiding Mason's home, police found fake and genuine tickets, glossy photographic paper, printers, as well as craft knives, scissors and a cutting board, which were all used in the ticket-making process
Mason, of Hatfield, Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years.
He has also been ordered to carry out 240 hours unpaid work and a 12-day restorative justice course at Sheffield Crown Court.
The British Transport Police investigation began in autumn 2013 when East Coast Trains station support staff saw Mason's black Vauxhall Meriva car on several occasions in the Executive Car Park at Doncaster train station.
Various ticket discrepancies were noted including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid.
Replicating the real tickets, Mason used software to change the details on the ticket in order to get free travel. He included the type of ticket, the date, the price, the journey and the printing date (pictured)
+7
Replicating the real tickets, Mason used software to change the details on the ticket in order to get free travel. He included the type of ticket, the date, the price, the journey and the printing date (pictured)
But inspectors noticed various ticket discrepancies, including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid
+7
But inspectors noticed various ticket discrepancies, including an expired ticket and tickets with wrong colours, no date and time printed, incorrect emblems and incorrect value paid
BTP was informed and in December an officer spotted the car and approached Mason when he returned to his vehicle later that day.
He was arrested on suspicion of fraud offences and a search of the car revealed 10 further tickets believed to have been forged.
Forensic examination of the computer devices found at his home revealed Mason had used the computers to produce forged travel and parking tickets.
The offences were committed between March 24, 2011, and December 19, 2013.
Mason used the software to forge the back of the train ticket in meticulous detail (pictured). He has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges
+7
Mason used the software to forge the back of the train ticket in meticulous detail (pictured). He has been ordered to pay back £17,884 over six months after he was convicted of fraud charges
At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison. Pictured: The list of fake tickets stored on Mason's computer
+7
At a proceeds of crime hearing Mason, a contract worker, was told failure to pay will result in a default sentence of 12 months in prison. Pictured: The list of fake tickets stored on Mason's computer
Read more: Fare dodger who forged fake first class tickets ordered to pay £17k | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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