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Teenager jailed for 10 weeks after assaulting bus driver in Northwood Hills
A TEENAGER who spat at a bus driver in Northwood Hills after being denied free travel has been jailed for 10 weeks.
Darren Altrudo, 18, admitted assaulting the driver on the 282 bus travelling from Northwood to Ealing, which had stopped outside Northwood Hills Tube station, in Joel Street, on December 9 last year.
As reported in the Gazette, Altrudo, who at the time of the incident was living in Pinner Road, Northwood, tried to scan his Oyster Card on the bus, but there were insufficient funds.
He asked the driver, Dee Grewal, to turn a blind eye, which he refused to do.
Mr Grewal also refused to wait while Altrudo topped up his Oyster Card, prompting the teenager to spit at him.
Altrudo, who at the time was subject to a youth rehabilitation order for previous offences, had been running late for an appointment with probation.
Having missed the meeting, he breached the order and was held in custody for four months, before being released on licence.
He was handed the prison sentence at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on Friday (20). No order for costs or compensation was made.
What do you think? Are you a bus driver who has been abused by passengers? What are your experiences of public transport? Email Gazette reporter Siba Matti at sibamatti@trinitysouth.co.uk or post a comment below.
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