Train fare dodger who knocked out ticket inspector's tooth after punching him is spared jail

Published: 09:11, 1 June 2026 | Updated: 09:14, 1 June 2026 A train fare dodger who sent a ticket inspector's tooth 'flying' after punching him in the face has been spared jail. Peter Corley, 62, was forced to leave his job and undergo £3,000 worth of dental treatment following the assault in West Yorkshire on December 14, 2024. His attacker, Finley Seggie, 21, pleaded guilty to Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) and was handed a 16-month suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court. Mr Corley, a grandfather-of-one from York and ex-army officer, described the incident as 'very shocking'. Speaking in the aftermath, he said: 'It was a very hard punch. I'm sure he's done some boxing training, but he hasn't learned the responsibility that goes with it. 'As a ticket inspector you know there are 2 per cent of passengers who would deck you, but I really didn't see it coming. 'I saw him walking towards me with a crooked unpleasant grin on his face, then it all happened so fast.' Mr Corley said the next thing he knew his tooth was 'flying out' of his mouth. Peter Corley, 62, was forced to leave his job and undergo £3,000 worth of dental treatment following the assault in West Yorkshire on December 14, 2024. He is pictured here in the aftermath of the assault Mr Corley, a grandfather-of-one from York and ex-army officer, has now described the incident as 'very shocking' He added: 'It happened so fast I had real difficulty processing it.' Mr Corley, who was a Lance Corporal in the army in the 1980s, had retired from his work as a custody inspector for West Yorkshire police in 2015. But wanting to get back into work, he started a job for Northern Trains in 2018 - with his voice even being used for automated announcements. He was conducting the afternoon train from Leeds to York, on December 14, 2024 and said it had a good 'pre-Christmas vibe' before he asked Seggie and his friend for their tickets. The friend told Mr Corley they did not have one and Seggie verbally abused him. Mr Corley asked the pair to get off at East Garforth, the next station, and went to assist another passenger and alerted the driver. He said: 'He grinned, then punched me, I fell back, and he ran. 'My glasses flew off, and as I bent to pick them up my knees just went from under me. Mr Corley said: 'Being a ticket inspector is a very difficult job - there's a lot to do and you're really focussed on helping people' 'People on the train were very shocked. I was covered in blood.' A passenger helped Mr Corley following the assault, and called the police. Nevertheless, Mr Corley conducted the train on the rest of the journey to York, where he met the British Transport Police, and got in a taxi to York Royal Infirmary. Mr Corley lost his top-right incisor and had to have a bridge fitted, with Northern Trains footing the £3,000 bill for his dental repair. He was forced to leave the train inspector job in May 2025 because of mental-health struggles brought on by the incident, he said, and now works as a supermarket customer team member and delivery driver. Mr Corley said: 'They were a very kind and responsible employer. I really miss that job. 'Being a ticket inspector is a very difficult job - there's a lot to do and you're really focussed on helping people. 'Often you're there on your own dealing with all sorts of incidents, including being threatened with knives. 'I spent a lot of my time talking to people and explaining things, trying to make their experience a good one. 'People mind a lot about trains being late, but when you work for them, you become aware of all the reasons why this happens.' He added: 'There's a lot of good on the railways, and lots of people working really hard to make it better. 'It's a great career for all ages.' Seggie was arrested on February 18 after being identified from the CCTV and charged with ABH. He claimed he had punched Mr Corley in self defence but later admitted the charge and was sentenced in May 2026. During his interview he accepted punching Mr Corley but claimed it was in self defence. Mr Corley said: 'Most people operating outside the law are perfectly ordinary good people, who, for a variety of reasons, have chosen a wrong path. 'I am satisfied with the outcome, but I would have preferred to meet him face to face as restorative justice, to look him in the eye and ask why he did this.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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