Bus driver who headbutted his passenger is spared prison

A bus driver was spared jail today for attacking one of his passengers.

Talip Erken, 44, pushed, punched and headbutted Tobi De Souza, who had complained that Erken had missed his stop. Mr De Souza had wanted to get off the C1 outside Harrods in Knightsbridge on January 15, City of Westminster magistrates heard.

He asked the driver: "Can't you do your job properly?" and stayed on to the end of the route at Terminus Place, Victoria, taking a photo of the bus on his mobile phone and going into the station to complain.

Erken, of Bayswater, made an obscene gesture as he drove off, the court heard. Minutes later, CCTV footage shows him stopping his vehicle, walking up to Mr De Souza and attacking him.
Erken, a bus driver for six years, was sacked and now works on tour buses.

He admitted causing actual bodily harm and was sentenced to 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also told to pay Mr De Souza £100.