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"Appallingly lenient"
Page 9
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• A union leader has condemned a jail sentence passed on a truck driver who attacked a bus driver in a road rage attack as "appallingly lenient'.
The First Bus driver—who was not named in the hearing at Leicester Crown Court—was off work for eight weeks after being attacked by HGV driver Nicholas Fitches, of Bradgate Road in Ansley, Leicestershire.
Fitches was jailed for three months after leaving his cab and punching the bus driver in the face. Fitches admitted affray.
The court heard that he was trying to manoeuvre his truck onto a traffic island during rushhour roadworks in Leicester.
When he got stuck and ended up blocking the carriageway the 30-year-old driver blamed the bus driver for not reversing to allow him to complete his turn.
Nicola Moore, prosecuting, said: "The bus driver thought the lorry was part of the roadworks and so moved the bus forward. Fitches lost his tern
per, approached the bus and began to jump up and down."
The driver was punched in the face before he even had a chance to speak, and was left shocked and shaken, said the prosecution.
After the case, T&G regional organiser Harish Patel said: "It is appalling it was only a threemonth sentence.
I would have liked to have seen six months. His behaviour was totally unacceptable, but we welcome any sort of custodial sentence."