Man jailed for attacking bus staff with beer bottle as heroic off-duty workers intervened
A man has been jailed for four years after violently attacking bus staff with a broken bottle in West Bromwich who intervened to try and stop him.
Gerald Wilmot, from Handsworth, was involved in a road rage incident after he cycled in front of a bus on Kendrick Way on May 12 this year.
He forced his way onto the bus and started to bang a beer bottle onto the driver's cab screen, with an off-duty driver and a bus inspector – who were travelling home after work – coming to the driver's aid and attempting to restrain the 61-year-old.
Wilmot, from Stafford Road, broke the bottle and attacked the men who managed to grapple him to the floor. One of them suffered a seven centimetre cut to his jaw and neck, as well as hands and arms, whilst the other also received cuts to his hands and arms.
The man restrained the culprit until police arrived and he was arrested. And throughout the assault, the defendant was shouting racial abuse at staff and passengers.
Wilmot appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to two offences of wounding with intent, as well as racially aggravated assault and a racially aggravated public order offence. He was sentenced to four years in prison.
DC Craig Elliot, the investigating officer from force CID, said: “This was a particularly violent offence where the bravery of the two off duty staff has prevented more serious injury. Thankfully, this sort of incident is very rare and the sentence sends out a message that violence on our public transport network won’t be tolerated.”
