Passengers at Westminster station where Transport for London manager Caroline Murphy abused Tube staff and kicked out at a police officer when she became too drunk to get home
Passengers at Westminster station where Transport for London manager Caroline Murphy abused Tube staff and kicked out at a police officer when she became too drunk to get home (file photo) Getty

A Transport for London (TfL) manager abused Tube staff and kicked out at a police officer after becoming too drunk to get home, a court has heard.

Caroline Murphy, 40, had consumed up to two bottles of red wine and was seen stumbling through Westminster station unable to stand upright.

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Blackfriars Crown Court on Monday (5 January) heard the TfL events manager hurled abuse at staff who would not let her board a train.

The married mother of two from Brentford then wandered into the Tube station control room during the incident, which took place in October 2016. Staff tried to send her home in a taxi, but cab drivers refused to accept her fare because she was so drunk.

Police were called when Tube staff realised they could not get Murphy home. She had to be wrestled to the ground, handcuffed and put in leg restraints when she tried to kick a British Transport Police officer, reported the Evening Standard.

Prosecutor Sheilagh Davies told the jury: "She was quite clearly very, very drunk. She was abusive to staff and unpleasant. She would be shouting and then crying. She would cry to female members of staff and then called someone a c**t."

Davies added: "She was so drunk she kept struggling, she had to be taken to the ground but did manage to get a leg clear and kicked out towards the officer."

Officers interviewed Murphy the next day, but the court heard that she could not remember what had happened the night before.

Judge Jane Sullivan heard that that Murphy did not usually drink socially, but had drunk a lot of red wine while viewing a potential venue for a TfL event with a colleague.

Murphy pleaded guilty to a public order offence of using threatening, insulting, or abusive words or behaviour. Prosecutors agreed to drop an allegation, which she denied, that she had racially abused a police officer. The TfL manager was ordered to pay £750 and gave her a 12-month conditional discharge.

Murphy has already been through an internal disciplinary procedure over the incident and could face the sack because of her conviction.