A MYSTERY train passenger who claims his name is Jesus Christ has been freed by a Carlisle court after he was convicted of travelling illegally without a ticket.

In one of the most bizarre cases ever seen at the city’s Rickergate court, the 29-year-old traveller was put through a 40 minute trial to resolve whether he was guilty of dodging his £19.70 fare on a rail journey between Edinburgh and Carlisle on Monday morning.

After hearing statements from train staff, Deputy District Judge Gary Garland delivered a guilty verdict on the man, referred to in court as both Mr Christ, and Mr X.

Court officials told the defendant - long-haired, bearded but without the green blindfold he wore when first put into the dock - that they had discovered his real identity: Matthew Dominic Holbrook, originally of Rochdale, Lancashire.

Prosecutor John Moran read a statement from train conductor Brian Gillies, who checked tickets on the Manchester bound Transpennine Express train which the defendant used on September 14. One of three men sitting together, he only one who was awake. In sunglasses, and with matted hair, he was scruffy, said the guard.

The guard said: “He [the defendant] gestured for me to come closer and then said he was on an undercover Ministry of Defence mission and he produced a tatty piece of paper.” Written on this was a MOD logo. When asked for proper identification, he failed to produce anything satisfactory, said the guard.

When again asked for a ticket, he referred to his ‘tatty’ piece of paper. The guard pointed out that he would call the police, prompting the man to ask: “What are the police going to do?”

He then waved the guard away.

The defendant was arrested at 1.30pm at Carlisle railway station, where he told British Transport Police officers he had a valid MOD travel pass. He was asked where he got it, and replied: “Off a printer.”

The deputy district judge quizzed ‘Mr Christ,’ who repeatedly told him: “I am Jesus Christ.” During the trial, he objected to being referred to as a ‘male’ and said he was wrongly accused. In earlier exchanges, he insisted his ‘office’ did not require him to answer questions.

He told the judge: “I am not going to denigrate your office, but my office supersedes other offices.”

In one exchange, when asked again for his birth name, he said: “I am not obliged to provide that information.” In reply, the judge said: “Then I am afraid I can’t help you any more, Mr X. We will have to go through a process.”

The legal process - a short trial - concluded with the judge finding the defendant guilty of travelling illegally.

He imposed one day’s jail but immediately freed ‘Mr Christ’ given that he had spent the night in Durham Prison for an alleged contempt of court.

The judge said that, having gone through the trial, the defendant’s contempt could be deemed ‘purged.’He freed Mr Christ, agreeing to provide him with a travel pass so he can complete his journey to Manchester. Responding, Mr Christ asked: “Can it include Manchester to London and then to Portsmouth?”

Deputy District Judge Garland refused. He told the defendant: “You’ve been a nuisance. I don’t care what people are called. If you want to be Jesus Christ that’s fine; preach the gospel and that’s fine.

“But in our society it works by regulating what people do through the courts and we’re here to stop people being oppressed and stop people doing things which are wrong.

“You were definitely on that train without a proper ticket.”

* The defendant gave his age as 29, though is actually 38 if he is the man court officials believe he is, Matthew Dominic Holbrook.