A MAN has been spared jail after his angry outburst at a bus driver terrified passengers.

Stuart Davies, of Crescent Road in Wrexham, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old admitted that in June last year at Caego, he used threatening or abusive words or behaviour and that he displayed a visible representation with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

James Neary, prosecuting, told the court that on the day of the offence, Arriva bus driver Ebenezer Anning was driving a service from Wrexham to Minera.

At around 10.30am, as he passed through Caego, he noticed one of his passengers had his face mask down on his chin - at a time when they were compulsory on public transport to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The passenger, Davies, was asked to wear it properly and also to take his feet off the seats.

That, Mr Neary said, was the "trigger" for what came next.

Davies took his mask off and told the driver: "I'll smash your f****** face in."

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Mr Anning ignored him, but he noticed Davies had started talking to other passengers about him, including: "Driver's not a nice guy - shall we start with him for a f****** laugh?"

At Coedpoeth he came p to the front of the bus and demanded to be let off in the High Street.

When he got off, he told Mr Anning: "You're a k***head."

The driver carried on with his route and upon passing back through the area on his way back to Wrexham, he saw Davies waiting at a stop to get back on.

Mr Anning told the defendant he was not allowed back on, but then he "flipped," shouting: "I'm f****** coming back on - I have a f****** pass."

There followed a "heated" scene in which he frightened passengers with his behaviour and refused to get off the bus - after which the police were called.

The court heard Davies had a number of offences on his record - including robbery with a meat cleaver at an off-licence in 2014, for which he received a 64-month sentence. 

Andrew Jebb, defending, told the court his client had accepted his behaviour was completely unacceptable and that the other passengers would have been upset by him.

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He is currently living in supported accommodation five days a week, having removed himself from his family home due to his alcohol addiction.

Probation officer Andrew Connah told the court the defendant was previously addicted to heroin and crack cocaine, but is now clean of illegal drugs and is on a methadone prescription.

Mr Jebb said his client, who was on a high dose of anxiety medication, had been on his way to collect his methadone on the day of the offence and wrongly assumed the bus driver "had it in for him."

District Judge Owen Gerallt Jones handed down a total sentence of 12 weeks in custody, but suspended it for 12 months.

Davies must undertake 10 rehabilitation activity days and pay £100 in compensation to the driver, as well as a member of the public who was affected by his behaviour on the day.

He was also ordered to pay a £128 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

 

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