An Isle of Wight man, already in debt to the court, has been fined again after threatening a man ‘with a knife’ and trespassing on railway tracks.

Richard Herbert, of Printers Mews, Shanklin, attended the Isle of Wight Magistrates’ Court on Friday, August 23, and pleaded guilty to using threatening or abusive words likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and trespassing. 

Lauren Stone, prosecuting, said the 25-year-old walked off the platform at Shanklin Train Station and walked along the tracks on March 12.

Fortunately, maintenance was being carried out on the line, and the tracks were not live, the court heard.

Ms Stone said the police were contacted, and upon arrival, Herbert said he did not intend to hurt himself - he just wanted to leave the Island and return to Basingstoke.

Herbert was on the tracks for approximately half an hour before police arrived and a further ten minutes afterwards, Ms Stone told magistrates.

Regarding the second offence, Ms Stone said police were called at 2.40pm on August 7 to reports that Herbert had threatened a man with a weapon.

Court heard that Herbert had come out of his room shouting, “No one is listening to me,” headed outside and threw bin bags over a wall.

Ms Stone said a man on the other side of the wall threw them back over before Herbert loudly proclaimed he "had a knife" and threatened the individual. 

No details were provided in court as to whether Herbert was in possession of a knife.

Barry Keel, defending, spoke only about the trespassing offence, saying his client has “a history of similar behaviour when things aren’t going his way.”

Mr Keel told the court about a similar incident at a Southampton train station.

Herbert lives at a supported living complex in Shanklin and is marked as “high dependency,” Mr Keel told the court.

Magistrates handed Herbert an £80 fine and ordered him to pay £50 in costs and a £32 surcharge. 

These new financial penalties have been added to the £481 outstanding fines Herbert has yet to pay the court.