Police ScotlandA teenage boy who admitted killing a bus driver by headbutting and “raining punches” on him has been sentenced to 4 years and 4 months in custody.
Keith Rollinson, 58, died of a cardiac arrest in hospital following the incident on the bus station in Elgin’s St Giles Street space in February.
The 16-year-old boy, who was 15 on the time, was initially charged with homicide however admitted the lesser cost of culpable murder.
The assault occurred after Mr Rollinson had refused to let {the teenager} on board the bus as a result of he was too drunk.
On the Excessive Courtroom in Inverness, Woman Hood instructed {the teenager} – who can’t be named attributable to his age – there was no various to detention.
The choose added that she would have imposed an extended sentence had he not pled responsible on the earliest alternative, and that no sentence would make up for the loss suffered by Mr Rollinson’s household.
Beforehand, the Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh was instructed Mr Rollinson had collapsed following the assault and by no means regained consciousness.
The boy had beforehand been reported to the police for assaulting one other bus driver. A supervision order for that offence had ended three weeks earlier than the deadly assault on Mr Rollinson.
{The teenager} was a part of a bunch of youths who had been consuming closely on the night of the assault.
The boy and one other youth had gone to the bus station to get the final bus house.
Mr Rollinson had instructed him he was too intoxicated to board the bus, which had upset him. Mr Rollinson switched off the bus engine and instructed the opposite passengers he wouldn’t be leaving till the boy acquired off the bus.
Mr Rollinson requested a colleague for assist with the state of affairs.
After they acquired again to the concourse, the boy pointed his telephone in Mr Rollinson’s face, resulting in the driving force grabbing the telephone.
This led to a battle between the pair, throughout which the boy headbutted the driving force.
The court docket heard that the boy had then “fully misplaced management”, raining punches on Mr Rollinson’s head and physique, earlier than being pulled away by one other youth.
Mr Rollinson tried to get away from the boy, and the court docket heard he seemed to be superb.
Nonetheless, after bending over to select up his cap, he collapsed and by no means regained consciousness.
The court docket heard a taxi driver overheard the boy discussing the assault as he was driving him house. The boy later known as one in all his associates, crying and upset, saying he had hit the driving force and he “wasn’t waking up”.
After his arrest, police mentioned the boy had “displayed an air of vanity” and “didn’t seem to understand the severity of the state of affairs”.
He had made unsolicited feedback that he had acted in self-defence and had “prayed to God the deceased can be all proper”.
A subsequent autopsy examination on Mr Rollinson revealed he had vital coronary heart illness and would have most definitely been “liable to a sudden cardiac arrest at any time”.
‘Loving husband and father’
Mr Rollinson’s household mentioned in an announcement on the time: “The kindest, devoted and loving husband and father was taken from us.
“Our world has been shattered – I can not see us ever getting over our lack of our rock.”
Stagecoach North Scotland expressed shock and unhappiness on the loss of life of one in all its drivers.
The Unite union has known as for higher safety of bus drivers.
It launched the findings of a survey of greater than 1,000 bus drivers throughout Scotland final week.
Unite mentioned 99% supported stronger legislative measures to guard bus drivers, and 84% mentioned the variety of situations of abuse at work had elevated within the final 12 months.
Unite normal secretary Sharon Graham mentioned: “Pressing measures should be taken to handle the staggering degree of abuse being suffered by bus drivers.”
Chf Insp Mike McKenzie, the Police Scotland space commander for Moray, beforehand mentioned: “Since Keith Rollinson’s loss of life, we’ve got been working intently with a spread of companions to sort out youth dysfunction in Elgin, notably across the bus station.
“This work will proceed and we’re dedicated to working with companions to forestall and deter anti-social behaviour.”
