Rail dispatcher jailed for deadly crash while he played on his phone

A rail dispatcher has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars over a train crash that killed 12 people when he was playing a game on his mobile phone.

Michael Paul was on duty while playing the game - something which is banned by railway operators.

Distracted, he set the wrong signals, putting two passenger trains on a head-on collision course at high speed.

The 40-year-old had chance to stop the crash but when he made the emergency phone call to the train drivers, he rang the wrong number.

Judge Erich Fuchs said: "The accused is guilty of 12 counts of involuntary manslaughter and 85 counts of negligent bodily harm."

The crash near the Bavarian town of Bad Aibling on 9 February was one of Germany's worst rail disasters.

When his trial opened, Paul's lawyer read out a statement admitting negligence.

Addressing the families of those who died, he said: "I know that I cannot undo what has happened, even if I wish I could."