A railway worker put the lives of passengers at risk by letting an untrained friend stand in for him for more than two weeks so he could study for a degree, a court has heard.
Oluwaseun Oyesanya, 36, allowed Olutoba Olubode to wave off trains from station platforms even though he did not have a licence and had not been trained, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
The hearing was told the deception could have led to a crash and passenger deaths if a train had been cleared to leave Denmark Hill Station at the wrong time.
The deception took place between October 15 and 27 last year at Denmark Hill Station
He was standing in as a despatcher, who conducts safety checks before trains depart and have to undergo training and obtain a licence.
Chair of the bench Spyros Elia told Oyesanya it was 'but for the will of God that somebody wasn't injured, perhaps even fatally, and maybe more than one person.'
Adjourning for sentencing, he said: 'I just cannot stress how serious this is.
'We feel that the sentencing powers available to us in this court are not sufficient to deal with it with the severity it deserves.'
The ruse took place between October 15 and 27 last year, when Oyesanya, who has no previous convictions, was employed at Denmark Hill Station by railway company Southeastern.
He gave Olubode a fake identity badge, along with a personal crash course and a set of training books.
Alec Williams, prosecuting, said the measures let his friend 'effectively home-school himself in how to become competent in despatching trains.'
He said the scam went unnoticed until January this year when Oyesanya turned up at the station to go about renewing his licence.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard it was 'but for the will of God' that someone was not injured or killed
'Colleagues caught sight of him and were rather confused that the gentleman they saw was not the gentleman they had been working with,' Mr Williams said.
Following his arrest, the railway worker told police he thought Olubode was 'doing it quite well and not putting anyone in danger.'
More...
Bareilly to B-Town via Boston: Priyanka Chopra tells how she was bullied for being a brownie
Conman stole £180,000 from a string of women he met through Sugar Daddies dating website by claiming he had cancer
George Otchere, defending, said his client had acted out of a desire to provide for his family while keeping up with his studies.
He said: 'The reason for the crime was that he was trying to do two things at the same time - trying to cater for his wife and daughter, and at the same time go to university.
'He shows remorse for what he has done.
'It's something he did unwisely, not realising the seriousness.'
Oyesanya, of Erith, south east London, was released on unconditional bail.
He admits fraud by false representation, which relates to his wages, and endangering the safety of persons conveyed by railway.