Mantas Badauskas climbed onto the roof of Ipswich train station (Picture: Google)

A ‘self-indulgent’ Lithuanian tourist who climbed on to a roof at Ipswich railway station in a row over a train ticket has been jailed for 16 months.

Mantas Badauskas, 26, refused to come down from the canopy in a six-hour stand-off with police and train staff on July 19.

He admitted causing obstruction without intent at an earlier hearing before sentencing today at Ipswich crown court.

‘It was attention-seeking and utterly self-indulgent,’ Judge John Devaux told the court.


His actions cost train operator Greater Anglia an estimated £1million and disrupted the journeys of 40,000 passengers after 79 trains were either cancelled or delayed.

Power had to be turned off at the station as he was close to 25,000 volt power cable, resulting in around 750 passengers being stuck on three trains without air conditioning on a hot summer’s day.



He climbed on to the station roof after he attempted to use his Oyster card to get from Ipswich to Stansted airport but was told he would have to pay the fare.

The tourist also threatened to jump from the roof if police approached him.

Badauskas told police he had been in the country for a week but had lost all his belongings and was attempting to get home to Lithuania when he was asked to present a valid ticket.