Slash threat thug told bus driver he would ‘rip his jaw’
Police called after terrifying threat on board vehicle
Cops stormed a bus in Paisley after a yob threatened to slash the driver and “rip his jaw”, a court has been told.
Gary Maxwell, 30, sparked terror on a busy McGill’s service when he refused to pay his fare and vowed to maim the bus driver for asking for his travel pass.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Maxwell, of Bridge of Weir Road, Linwood, sparked a major police incident in the middle of the town and police officers were scrambled to the scene.
Fiscal depute Carol Brown told the court: “On the evening of July 16 this year, the witness was driving the McGill’s bus along Bridge of Weir Road when he was flagged down by the accused.
“The accused boarded the bus and placed his card on the scanner. The card kept defaulting.
“The driver asked the accused to hand over the card in order to clean it.
“He told the witness he was not taking his card and the driver replied ‘I am only doing my job.’
“The accused said ‘Don’t take the c*** out of me or I will rip your jaw.”
The court heard when Maxwell’s card still wouldn’t scan, he put it back in his pocket and snarled “Just drive the f*****g bus,” and walked aboard.
The fiscal added: “He walked towards the back of the bus.
“In the waistband of his trousers a black handled object was seen which the driver believed to be a knife.
“The witness was concerned for his safety and for other passengers aboard the bus.
“He contacted police, who met the bus at Wellmeadow Street in Paisley.
“Four police witnesses with PAVA spray entered the stationary bus and instructed the accused to place his hands on the seat in front.
“The accused opened the emergency exit door and fled, followed by police witnesses.
“The accused landed in the roadway, where he fell over.
“He was held in the prone position. Numerous other officers arrived at the scene to assist with the arrest.”
Maxwell mounted a furious struggle with cops until he was handcuffed and placed in leg restraints and put in a cell van.
The accused appeared from custody where he pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm in that he acted aggressively and uttered threats at the bus driver, acted as though he had a knife and struggled violently with police officers in the execution of their duty.
Defence agent Bob Mitchell said: “There was no knife. He didn’t strike anyone. It was all talk.
“Recently, he was the victim of an attack. He was left close to death.
“He still drinks heavily as a result and suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder.
“One benefit from his time spent on remand is that he has detoxed from alcohol.”
Mr Mitchell added that Maxwell recently received a Community Payback Order for a more serious offence and urged the court to allow him time to knuckle down and get on with that punishment, before dealing with the bus rammy.
Sheriff Susan Sinclair acceded to Mr Mitchell’s request but she warned the yob he was close to getting a jail stretch.
She said: “The easy thing to do would be to give you a sentence – but not more time to complete the order you are currently on.
“I will defer sentence for three months. It is up to you to decide how you spend your time.”
Maxwell, who was freed on bail , will appear for a review of his behaviour on Thursday, November 15.