TWO drunken passengers who assaulted a bus driver after he ordered them off his vehicle have each been locked up after a judge described their behaviour as disgraceful.
The victim, Douglas Williams, 58, was driving an Arriva bus on the Dewsbury-Wakefield route on August 16 last year when Daniel Ramsdale and Adrian Hird got on at a stop in Horbury, Wakefield.
Michael Smith, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that
a black passenger had already got on and Ossett and Ramsdale immediately began racially abusing him, telling him: "Pick a window and we will put you through it."
As the "torrent of abuse" continued for two to three minutes, Mr Williams stopped the vehicle and ordered the pair off.
At first they refused. They went to the front of the vehicle and there was a verbal exchange with them swearing and shouting at the driver. Mr Smith told the court yesterday that as the two defendants started to get off the bus, Ramsdale snatched the driver's bag containing his cash float, not to steal the money but to be awkward.
Mr Williams grabbed hold of it and in the tussle was pulled from the bus. He was then assaulted by both defendants.
He was punched about the head several times,
Ramsdale kneed him in the ribs and Hird put him in a headlock.
The two only ran off when a passer-by intervened. Mr Williams had a bruised and swollen eye and an elbow injury.
Ramsdale, 27, of Park Green, Normanton, Wakefield, who admitted assaulting the driver and racial harassment of the passenger, was jailed for two years.
Hird, 18, of Eastville Road, Sharlston, Wakefield, who also admitted assaulting Mr Williams, threatening behaviour on the same date and an attempted robbery at a bookmakers in December last year was given three-and-a-half years in a young offenders institution.
Sentencing them, Judge Peter Benson said the two men were under the influence of drink, drugs, or both, and had inflicted unpleasant injuries on a bus driver going about his business after Ramsdale had behaved appallingly towards another passenger.
As a result the driver's working life had been ruined.
After 40 years in the
business as a public service driver, he no longer felt
confident enough to continue.
The judge added: "The public have lost a good servant through your actions."
Richard Wright, for Ramsdale, said at the time he was a heroin addict but in the year since had become both drug and alcohol free.
Richard Clews, for Hird, said all his offences only occurred because of drink.
He was full of remorse and shame for his actions.
