First Bus driver punched passenger in the face and dragged him off bus

A bus driver punched his passenger in the face and dragged him off the bus.

Around 2.20pm on September 7, 2023, a man was travelling on a First Bus.

During the journey, he made comments regarding a wheelchair user.

This resulted in an altercation and the driver, Andrew Woodhouse, asked the man to leave the bus. He refused.

The bus stopped on Pollokshaws Road and the two confronted each other face-to-face.

The 55-year-old applied force to remove the man from the bus. He dragged him towards the first doorway.

The passenger managed to kick him off but Woodhouse grabbed him with two hands and dragged him to the front of the bus, letting him fall in the doorway.

He then dragged him to the street.

Woodhouse, of Garrowhill, left the man on his back, on the ground. He then punched him in the face and kneeled by him.

The other passengers left and called the police.

When officers arrived, they saw the passenger with a head injury. He was taken to the hospital and treated above the eyebrow.

He had four lumps on his head and two lacerations on his face.

Woodhouse was cautioned and taken to Cathcart police station.

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He appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week, after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a man, kicking him on the body, pulling and dragging him off the bus.

He admitted to repeatedly punching him on the head to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

His lawyer said: "He is 55 years old. He lives with his wife. He is a man who is in full-time employment. He is still employed by West Coast Buses. He has no previous convictions.

"This took place when he was working. He was driving his bus and a drunk passenger came on the bus.

"The complainer was verbally abusive towards a wheelchair user. He became more and more abusive. He asked him to leave but he did not.

"That was when he took the incorrect decision to forcibly remove him and he punched him in the face.

"The report suggests he does not take full responsibility but I have spoken to him and he does. He accepts he is the one who became physical first."

Sheriff Vincent Lunny replied: "I take it the company has a procedure for this."

The solicitor remarked: "He accepts he took matters into his own hands. He is responsible for his own actions.

"There may have been some elements of provocation.

"He does reflect and explain there are other ways he could have dealt with this.

"He was under a lot of stress then. He does describe it as extremely out of character."

The sheriff said: "I would hope that this is very much a one-off. In some ways, this offence is inexplicable. This is what the police are for. You are in a position of trust.

"This is very much a horrible offence. Given your record, I will be able to deal with it by way of a community payback order."

Woodhouse was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work and fined £1,000.