School bus driver denies assaulting his driver colleague at stop

A bus driver said he was assaulted by a colleague working for the same company, at Naas District Court.

Christopher Coyne, 68, whose address was given as Bluetown, Allenwood, was prosecuted for assaulting Jeffrey Murray-hill on March 1, 2022, near the Scoil Mhuire secondary school, Prosperous Road, Clane.

Gda Kevin O’Sullivan said the injured party claimed he had been punched in the face, sustaining bruising to the left cheek and an eye.

Mr Murray-hill said that he got a call from company owner John O’Neill asking him to have a look at a door on the vehicle the defendant was driving.

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When he arrived and said why he was there the defendant said “you get away form this bus.”

He was standing at the door and the defendant hit him with his fist. There were children starting to get on to the bus.

Cross examined by solicitor Tim Kennelly, Mr Murray-hill said the defendant walked off the bus and went home and he was parked two buses in front at the school.

He said there were no cross words between them, he did not lean across the defendant or invade his personal space.

He denied being aggressive with the defendant and denied Mr Kennelly’s suggestion of “wanting to be the big man, thinking I’ll fix your bus.”

He denied coming at the defendant physically and he reported the incident to Mr O’Neill.

John O’Neill said he arrived 40 minutes later and children were on the bus. He said the defendant had been working for him for 7-8 years and he has not seen him since.

He said there was some animosity between Mr Murray-hill and Mr Coyne.

The defendant said the bus was not the one he normally drove and he told the injured party to get off the bus. He said he had contacted John O’Neill. He said he pushed the injured party with his hand and jumped out by him and went home. He denied punching him but said the injured party’s face was “nearly in mine.”

He said he couldn't have got out of the bus without pushing him and he said the injured party does not like him.

Judge Desmond Zaidan said there was unlawful contact with the injured party’s face.

He said it was likely the defendant was annoyed because he was expecting another  bus to be provided and the injured party arrived. If another bus had arrived, he added, the incident would  not have happened.

The judge accepted a charitable donation of €500 and said he was pleased to note that the parties shook hands in the courtroom at the end of the hearing.