Belfast: Man jailed for assaulting train conductors

A passenger who attacked conductors on two separate trains in County Antrim has been jailed for five months.

Peter McMullen, 22, also stole a phone from one of the victims and kicked a police officer's face after being arrested earlier this year.

District Judge Ted Magill described the outbursts of violence as "inexcusable and appalling".

McMullen admitted two common assaults, disorderly behaviour, assault on police, theft and resisting police.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard McMullen, who has an address in Silverstream Avenue in Belfast, targeted the Translink employees at Whiteabbey Railway Station on 23 March.

One female conductor told police she went to remove McMullen from her train when he became abusive.

He responded by pushing her in a bid to get at the driver, and then threw a punch which struck her on the wrist.

When the conductor on a second train refused to let McMullen travel, he responded by punching him and stealing his work phone.

Police located the defendant at a nearby garage on the Station Road, where he repeatedly shouted and swore at officers.

He kicked one constable, causing soreness to his face, and had to be taken into custody by force.

During interviews, McMullen claimed the phone had been left in bushes, but it was never recovered.

Defence barrister Danielle McMahon stressed her client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

"He fell in with the wrong crowd and started abusing drugs and alcohol," she told the court.

Imposing four months' custody for the offences, the judge ordered McMullen to serve a further month for breaching a previous suspended sentence.

"The common assaults on staff of Translink are frankly inexcusable and appalling, people doing a service to the public," he said.