Man jailed for attempting to steal passenger’s bike – Reading

A man who was caught trying to steal a passenger’s bike at Reading railway station has been jailed.

Barry Gosney, 33, and of no fixed abode, was found guilty of theft on 12 July at Reading Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to six weeks in prison and ordered to pay a fine of £128.

On Sunday 11 July at 10.15pm, a member of public informed officers that Gosney was attempting to cut through the lock of a bicycle in the rack outside the station.

The court heard how the officers approached the bike rack and saw Gosney crouched over a bicycle, which had a clear mark on the lock where it had been cut.

After detaining Gosney, officers found a pair of wire cutters on his possession and he was arrested for attempt theft.

Later that evening, a passenger reported their bike as missing to the British Transport Police (BTP). Officers were able to identify the recovered bike as belonging to the passenger and it was reunited with its owner.

BTP Cycle Crime Lead, Mark Cleland, said: “We are committed to tackling all forms of theft and proactively monitor the network 24/7 to make the railway a difficult place for these criminals to operate.

“This sentence demonstrates just how seriously the courts take these types of incidents, and I hope this sentence serves as a deterrent to would-be offenders.

“We encourage cyclists to keep their bikes safe from thieves by double locking it with at least one D lock. Or locking it through the frame and wheel and registering the frame number on a cycle database.”

If you spot any suspicious activity on the railway, please report it to BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency always call 999.