Woman, 83, refused bus ride suffered horror injuries

Joan Scott was now "trapped in a broken body", her son said

A great-grandma had to have both legs amputated when she became trapped under a double-decker bus after the driver refused to let her on board.

Joan Scott, then 83, was crushed under the vehicle's wheels in Wallsend, North Tyneside, on 19 September 2021.

Her walking stick, which was strapped to her wrist, became wedged in the closed doors before the bus pulled off.

Driver Scott Cliff, 49, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was jailed for 27 months.

Mrs Scott was unable to free herself and, as Cliff drove away, she was dragged under the Go North East vehicle and remained pinned under its rear wheels for almost an hour.

Her injuries were so catastrophic she had to have one leg amputated at the scene, and the other hours later in hospital.

Sentencing Cliff at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Roger Thomas told him: "As the doors opened you saw her coming to the door to get on.

"What you did then, extraordinarily really, was close the doors against her, knowing she was wanting to get on and indeed was about to get on."

Cliff looked ahead as he pulled away, the judge said, which gave the impression that "what you were doing was not wanting to look at that old lady you knew was wanting to get on the bus".

The court heard that the driver, of Lindisfarne Road, Hebburn, had pulled over to let a passenger off but did not want to let Mrs Scott board as he mistakenly thought she had got on his bus the week before without her pass and refused to pay.

Scott Cliff had refused Joan Scott entry in the mistaken belief she had previously refused to pay

Prosecutor Jane Foley said the widow had gone from an "independent and capable" woman to someone who required constant care.

"As the doors were closing Mrs Scott placed her walking stick, which was strapped around her wrist, in the centre of the doors," she said.

"It seems that the narrow stick wasn't large enough to activate a safety function on the bus which would otherwise have prevented the doors from closing.

"Mrs Scott was pulled forward by the movement of the bus.

"Once the bus moved off, Mrs Scott fell to the floor and was struck by the bus and trapped by the rear wheels."

'Destroyed our family'

Cliff's lawyers had argued there was no alarm to indicate Mrs Scott's stick was caught, he did not know what had happened and he stopped the bus when he realised something was wrong.

Gavin Doig, defending, said it was "incomprehensible" for his client to decide he did not want Mrs Scott to board the bus.

He said Cliff had been a driver for six years, had good references, no criminal record and "had no way of knowing her walking stick was caught in the door".

Mrs Scott's son, Brian, said his mother was now "trapped in a broken body caused single-handedly by the actions of one person".

He added: "Mr Cliff held a position to help and protect the vulnerable by providing a place of safety on the bus, but he didn't do that for my mother, and that kills me.

"He has destroyed our family. I hope this horrendous incident makes other drivers of all vehicles sit up and take note."

PC Catherine Lloyd, who led the investigation, said the incident was "absolutely tragic".

"We all have a responsibility to make sure our roads are as safe as they possibly can be, and we will continue to pursue those who endanger the lives of others whilst behind the wheel."