A passenger sent a bus on a wild detour after threatening the driver and demanding him take him to “Never Never Land”.
Driver Christopher Artington told Darryl Williams that “we don’t go there”, but Williams - who tried to get into the driver’s cab - told him “Don’t disrespect me”.
The vehicle - which had several other perplexed passengers on board - drove down the pedestrianised Station Road in Colwyn Bay , with Williams saying: “Call the armed response because it will take a Taser to take me down”.
Police caught up with the bus as it was reversing down Mostyn Road, and two officers managed to get on board after one of the other passengers pulled Williams away from the driver’s cab.
There was a scuffle between Williams and the police before he was arrested.
When interviewed after the incident around midnight on June 14, Williams apologised to the driver and passengers and said he had been hearing voices which led him to believe that he was being chased. He also believed that the police officers were the people who had been chasing him.
Roger Thomas, defending, told the court that earlier that day Williams had attended the Nant y Glyn Clinic and been told that he should go immediately to the Ablett Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital , but he had been frightened to do so. He had then gone out drinking after taking his medication.
“He was clearly suffering a breakdown,” he said. “Alcohol contributed to the offences but it was not the only factor.”
Williams had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to using threatening behaviour and obstructing a police officer but a report of a psychiatric assessment had not been received. However, his medication had been increased and his condition was now stable.
Williams, 44, of Seabank Road, Colwyn Bay, was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months on the public order charge, with an extra two weeks’ concurrent sentence for obstructing the officer.
He was also ordered to pay Mr Artington £150 in compensation and to observe an 8pm – 6am curfew for 12 weeks.
The Bench also imposed a 12-month restraining order prohibiting Williams from using any bus service in North Wales for 12 months.
Chairman Duncan Stewart told him: “The public order offence was particularly serious because Mr Artington was a public servant going about his duty when he was intimidated.”
see-http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bus-passengers-taken-bizarre-journey-11768928
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