Alamy
A pregnant teenager brought a Tube line to a standstill by running along electrified rail lines – all because she wanted to avoid paying her fare.
Elesha Proud-Miles, 18, narrowly avoided being hit by a train as she tried to escape from station staff.
Her actions brought rush hour London Underground trains to a standstill but as she dangled her legs over the platform she defiantly declared: "I'm pregnant, you can't do anything to me."
However, the mum-to-be - who was three months' pregnant at the time in August - was eventually arrested and brought to court where she was spared jail for the sake of her baby.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard that Proud-Miles jumped the barriers at Finsbury Park Tube station and then punched a police officer in the face when he tried to stop her.
As station staff and police officers rushed to help, Proud-Miles started to lean backwards over the edge of the platform.
She then sat down and dangled her legs off the edge as fast trains roared through the station and, ignoring pleas from station staff, hopped down onto the tracks and crossed two sets of track before clambering up onto another platform.
Prosecutor Pamela Reiss said: "The trains actually had to be stopped because she went into the mouth of a tunnel. She had gone through the barrier at the end of the platform and was close to the tunnel wall.
"A train's emergency brakes had to be applied and it had to stop half way into the platform and the electricity was switched off. You can imagine the chaos that was ensuing."
Proud-Miles, of Wandsworth, south west London, admitted obstructing a train, disobeying rail safety notices, and assault. The teenager already has a string of convictions, including several assaults dating back to 2008, and an ABH for which she received nine months in a young offenders institute.
Proud-Miles was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with supervision, a three month curfew, an anger management course and banned for three months for travelling on London trains or the Underground.
Judge John Hillen said: "I would be perfectly justified and could not be criticised if I sent you back to a young offenders institute today - some will criticise me for not doing so."