A House of Lords peer who battled the IRA reportedly faces a prison sentence and £5,000 costs over an 80p ticket row with Southern Rail.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass, 78, was prosecuted by the rail operator after he refused to buy a new ticket when challenged by an inspector on a train from Gatwick to London.
Rather than purchase a seven day return which cost £23.65, the Northern Irish politician bought a one-day return for £22.85 which the inspector told him was invalid on the day he was travelling.
He told the Daily Telegraph he offered to pay the 80p difference but refused to buy a new ticket.
Southern Rail strike: December 2016
He said he was met by police when he arrived at Victoria station and was subsequently prosecuted by the under fire operator.
The newspaper reported the peer did not attend court and was convicted in his absence with total costs adding up to £1,478.90.
The former soldier launched an appeal against the ruling but lost and now reportedly faces a £5,000 legal bill and a 45-day prison sentence.
But the defiant politician, who regularly travels between London and Belfast, said he had no intention of giving up his grievance.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “I’ll go to jail before I bend the knee to some bureaucrat.
“I've spent the past 78 years fighting my own battles, whether as a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment against the Provisional IRA, or in politics. I'm not going to start backing down now.”
A spokesman for Southern Rail was quoted as saying: "Although this was dealt with through the courts and we have nothing to add at this stage, we will be investigating the matter."
The Standard has contacted Southern Rail for a comment.
