Bus inspector was assaulted by woman (34)

A WOMAN travelling on a bus from West Cork was convicted of assaulting the bus inspector who was checking tickets and passes.

Mary Cash of 5 East Green, Dunmanway pleaded not guilty to assaulting Bob Teehan on the bus on April 17 2018.

Judge Con O’Leary heard evidence from both parties and viewed CCTV from the bus before deciding to convict Mary Cash, aged 34.

Judge O’Leary said: ‘I saw you grappling with Mr Teehan and I saw your sister trying to get you off him.’

The judge said he was satisfied to convict Mary Cash of assault and he put sentencing back until September 3rd.

Bus revenue protection inspector, Bob Teehan, said he boarded the bus from West Cork at Grand Parade in Cork city and checked the tickets and passes of passengers. Mr Teehan testified that Ms Cash first showed him a pass which was out of date and invalid and should have been returned to Bus Éireann.

He said she then said she had found the correct card and produced a card but blocked the picture on it. Mr Teehan said it was the card belonging to the woman beside Ms Cash moments earlier.

Mr Teehan said that when he retained the card, Ms Cash wanted it back and he said: ‘She was pushing me. I pushed her back. She kept pushing me against a handrail near the driver.’

Mr Teehan said under cross-examination by solicitor Shane Collins-Daly that he was very shaken after the incident and took the following day off work. He said the incident lasted ‘three or four or five minutes’ but he was not sure of the time. Mr Collins-Daly said that the disputed incident on the CCTV lasted no more than 10 to 15 seconds and was a very trivial incident.

‘You may have taken the card and there may have been some physical contact but nothing that would constitute an assault,’ Mr Collins-Daly said. Mr Teehan said: ‘I disagree. I was manhandled in the course of my work.’

Mary Cash said: ‘I did not assault him. He pushed me and I was basically trying to get away from him.’

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