Young footballer locked up for abuse of driver

4:11am Wednesday 14th May 2008

A promising young footballer who racially abused a bus driver and spat in his face has been locked up by a judge.

Liam Moore, 19, was said to have been angry about the bus being late because he was making a visit to his mother's grave on the second anniversary of her death.

Prosecutor Ewan McLachlan said the teenager showed a pass when he got on Kenneth Brown's bus in Kings Road, Bradford, last October, but when the driver asked to inspect it Moore told him: "Nobody checks my pass."

Mr Brown repeated his request to examine the pass, at which the defendant racially abused him and spat in his face, said Mr McLachlan.

Moore, of Intake Road, Undercliffe, ran off, but Bradford Crown Court heard that he was identified via CCTV images.

The teenager, who had previous convictions for common assault and robbery, was arrested two months later and accepted spitting at the driver and swearing at him.

"He said he had been very angry that day," added Mr McLachlan.

Moore pleaded guilty to a charge of racially-aggravated common assault and Judge Roger Scott yesterday sent him to a young offender institution for 140 days.

Barrister Shazma Zaman, for Moore, said his mother had battled cancer for a few years and her client had not got over her death in 2005.

"He wanted to go to her grave to pay his respects," she said.

"He had waited for the bus which was late and the defendant was anxious to get to the graveyard."

Miss Zaman said Moore's anger at the bus being late and his grief led to him swearing at the driver.

"This wasn't a premeditated assault but out of frustration he said those words without thinking of the effect it would have on the bus driver," she said.

The court heard that the night-shift worker had expressed remorse for his actions and Miss Zaman highlighted his talent as a semi-professional footballer.

Khadim Hussain, operations director for bus company First, said: "We are very concerned about any attacks on our staff and take every reasonable step to ensure that people who attack our drivers are taken to court and prosecuted."

Mr Hussain said buses had radios to get help and were protected by screens, and 70 per cent of the current fleet is also fitted with CCTV.

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