Man jailed for kicking passenger in head during terrifying northern beaches’ bus rampage
A Mosman man’s violent rampage left a pensioner hospitalised and a Sydney bus smashed up by a shovel in broad daylight.
A man who terrorised passengers on a public northern beaches bus, repeatedly kicked one 65-year-old good Samaritan in the head, spat at the driver and used a shovel to smash the vehicle’s windows and doors
Chatham Eria Akuira told cops that “I hit people that needed to be hit” aboard the 144 bus from Manly to Chatswood, Manly Local Court’s been told.
Akuira, 49, and a 55-year-old co-accused, kicked off their violent spree after the driver told them to get off the Tuesday morning bus because they were swearing and carrying cans of beer, the court heard on Wednesday.
The builders labourer from Mosman, pleaded guilty to one count each of affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company and damage property.
He was convicted by Magistrate Daniel Reiss and sentenced to 12 months jail, with a six-month non-parole period.
The co-accused, who has pleaded guilty to the same charges, will be sentenced in January.
Akuira and the co-accused, boarded the 144 bus — which runs between Manly and Chatswood via Balgowlah — at the intersection of Spit and Stanton roads, Mosman, at 11.54am on August 12.
When Akuira boarded, he was carrying a shopping bag containing cans of beer. There were about 10 passengers already on the bus, according to an agreed set of facts tendered to court.
The driver told the pair they were not allowed to “tap on”.
Akuira replied: “You’re a c***.”
After the driver told him not to swear because there were women and children on the bus and directed him to get off.
“I’m not getting off. You’re a c***, call the cops,” Akuira said.
The driver then stopped the bus and opened the doors as Akuira continued to swear loudly, while the driver used a mobile phone to call for help.
At the same time, a 65-year-old male passenger, who was sitting behind the co-accused, said to Akuira: “Can you get off the bus, you’re scaring people”.
The court heard the co-accused then turned and repeatedly punched the man with both fists as other passengers fled the bus. The man managed to make his way off the bus, followed by the co-accused.
Akuira spat at the driver as he exited the bus.
But as the man tried to prevent the co-accused from walking away, he fell to the ground before Akuira and the co-accused began kicking and punching him.
The man was kicked in the ribs, face and legs before he, and the driver, managed to get back on the bus and lock its doors.
Akuira went to his nearby flat and returned with a long-handled shovel. The co-accused armed himself with a brick and a tin of paint, which he threw at the bus, damaging windows and glass door panels.
The court heard that Akuira smashed windows with the shovel before throwing it through a door, hitting the driver’s perspex protection barrier.
Akuira then threw a wheelie bin under the bus as it drove away.
When police arrived, Akuira said “we got in a fight on the bus”.
“I hit people that needed to be hit.”
The injured man was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital for treatment to facial abrasions.
