A Letterkenny man has been jailed for three months for assaulting a bus driver.
Lafferty jailed for three months for assaulting a bus driver.
Matthew Lafferty, 21, was part of a group of three people who took a bus from Ballyshannon to Letterkenny on January 26th, 2012.
The bus driver had been forced to stop the bus and ask people to stop drinking alcohol and smoking at Drumkeen.
When he was getting off the bus, Lafferty assaulted the driver, Mr McGarvey, in the face leaving his face red.
Lafferty appeared before Letterkenny District Court on a number of charges today.
The court heard from solicitor Patsy Gallagher who said his client had been fighting both alcohol and drug addictions.
The court heard that Lafferty has 43 previous convictions.
He was so “far gone” that he had tried to rob his next-door neighbour’s home and even his own on one occasion, said Mr Gallagher.
The court heard that Lafferty also broke into a house at 1 Fairgreen Park in Letetrkenny on November 12th, 2011 and stole a Playstation and also caused damage to the house.
Judge Paul Kelly said bus drivers are vulnerable and need to be protected.
“It must have been very unpleasant for him. Bus drivers do not deserve to be treated in this way when they are simply doing heir job,” said Judge Kelly.
He jailed Lafferty for three months for assaulting the bus driver and a further three months for burglary.
The court heard that Lafferty is also facing a number of other charges for which he opted to face trial in the circuit court.