Passenger's face slashed during swearing row on Leeds to Pudsey bus

The victim took exception to the language of two men sat behind him which escalated into a violent confrontation. It happened at around 8.30pm on March 6, 2020, on the number 4 service, which runs between Seacroft and Pudsey.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Mehran Nassiri conceded that the 60-year-old victim first attacked John Gary Collinson before they traded punches, with Collinson asking him: “Who are you to tell me to stop (swearing)?”

After the pair separated, the driver stopped the service and offered to call the police but then drove off again when nobody insisted. Minutes later, Collinson went to get off but attacked the victim, punching him twice as they struggled again. CCTV footage from the bus was played to the judge.

The victim later had to go to hospital with lacerations to his face. A Stanley knife blade was also found on the carpet at his home which is thought to have fallen from his clothing. Analysis of the blade found to contain Collinson’s DNA.

After his arrest, Collinson denied any knowledge of the blade, but said his finger nails were long at the time and could have caught the victim’s face. He was initially charged with GBH with intent, which was later downgraded to unlawful wounding. This was accepted by the Crown, as was his lack of knowledge over the blade.

Mitigating, Samuel Ponniah said: “It’s clear from the footage that it was not the defendant who starts this altercation – on the first occasion he is punched. He retaliated by punching the victim to the face.”

A probation report told the court that 49-year-old Collinson, of Rosgill Drive, Seacroft, has had drug issues with heroin and crack cocaine, and has “significant” health issues including COPD, asthma, epilepsy and a serious hernia.

Judge Christopher Batty told Collinson that his conduct was “unacceptable” and said: “You and your mate might have started this, no doubt having too much to drink, and you carried it on in due course."

However, he spared him immediate custody by giving him a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months and a four-month curfew order to keep him indoors between 8pm and 6am daily.