Rudi Webster admits screwdriver threats on Brighton train

Victims had boarded a train from Worthing to Brighton station when Rudi Webster was seen acting strangely.

The 30-year-old was shouting loudly at a friend on a video call, then became “paranoid” when passengers looked at him.

At one passenger he shouted: “What the f*** are you looking at?”

Meanwhile at two teenagers he shouted: “Are you chatting s*** about me? What the f*** did you say? I’m going to stab you.”

Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard how Webster had left one passenger in fear that the screwdriver was in fact a knife.

Webster was given a 16-week suspended sentence and was ordered to complete an anger management programme and was put under curfew for three months.

Brighton Magistrates Court

Martina Sherlock, prosecuting, told the court the incident happened on November 18 last year.

She said: “The defendant produced a screwdriver and said ‘what the f*** are you looking at.

“A victim feared for his safety and feared it was a knife and feared he was about to be stabbed.

“The defendant turned to two young victims and said ‘I’m going to stab you’.

Southern Rail

“He went into another part of the carriage, then returned apologising, but saw they were on the phone to the police.

“The defendant then called one of them a ‘snitch’ and a ‘snake’.”

Webster was arrested after he boarded a train to Wivelsfield, and a screwdriver was found in the bin of the train carriage.

Rudi Webster abused passengers on the train bound for Brighton station

He was also found in possession of cannabis.

The court heard how he had been visiting friends after a recent funeral for a friend who died after falling through the roof of a building in tragic circumstances.

Webster, of Chestnut Close, Burgess Hill, was also violently attacked with a scaffolding pole in an attack in 2018.

It has affected his mental health as he is diagnosed with anxiety, depression and attention deficit and hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

He was sorry for the threats made on board the train, and had felt “paranoid” to click off a video chat and see everyone looking at him.

Image credited to Southern Rail.

Webster was apparently given the screwdriver to do some repairs to his bike.

He admitted using threatening or abusive behaviour likely to cause fear of immediate violence, possession of cannabis, possession of an offensive weapon in public, and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

Webster was told to pay £213 in court costs and surcharges and must complete 20 sessions of the Resolve anger management programme.

He must also do 20 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service and was put under curfew from 8pm to 6am for three months.