A spurned lover who ploughed an 18-tonne coach into his ex-boyfriend’s ground-floor flat after their seven-year relationship broke down has been spared jail.
Ian Anderson, 33, drove the single-decker bus straight at the home of Jason Vasey in a revenge attack that caused more than £23,000 worth of damage.
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Anderson, a yardman at Liberty Coaches, wanted to ’embarrass’ his former partner, ‘make a point’ and ‘call him out’ after taking issue with him following their split.
He took a coach without permission from the company’s depot in Cramlington in Northumberland on January 21 last year before driving to nearby Ashington.
Lucy Todd, prosecuting, said Mr Vasey was lying in bed when he heard ‘loud tooting’. Mr Vasey then watched Anderson drove towards his social housing flat ‘at speed’.
The impact of the smash led to structural damage, smashed windows and a radiator flying off the wall onto the floor.
Anderson was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting criminal damage and aggravated vehicle taking.
Judge Alan Hedworth, KC, told him: ‘You wanted to make a scene and to cause embarrassment to your former partner, Mr Vasey.
Pictured: the 18-tonne coach which Ian Anderson drove into his ex-boyfriend’s ground-floor flat
Anderson, 33, (pictured) was spared jail after the incident, which saw him cause £23,000 worth of damage in the attack on his ex
Pictured: the damage to the Mr Vasey’s ground-floor flat after a single-decker coach was driven into it
Damage to Mr Vasey’s wall. The court heard that Mr Vasey was lying in bed when he heard ‘loud tooting’. Mr Vasey then watched Anderson drive towards his social housing flat ‘at speed’
The bus outside Mr Vasey’s flat. After slamming the coach into the block of flats in Manley View, Anderson got out of the driver’s seat and proceeded to throw shards of glass at Mr Vasey and ordering him to ‘get outside
‘You can make a scene with your ex-partner, you can try and embarrass them if that’s what you want to do – but you don’t do it with someone else’s extremely expensive property.
‘This was a ludicrously irresponsible, stupid and childish thing to do.
‘But you weren’t doing it with toys, you were doing it with very expensive property – both the coach and the flat.’
After slamming the coach into the block of flats in Manley View, Anderson got out of the driver’s seat and proceeded to throw shards of glass at Mr Vasey and ordering him to ‘get outside’.
He later phoned his superiors at Liberty Coaches to apologise, telling a manager that he had ‘some bus in my leg’.
The damage to the flats was totalled £23,834. The coach firm’s bill to repair the bus totalled more than £22,000.
Glenn Reardon, defending Anderson, said: ‘His account remains that he didn’t wish to cause any harm to anyone.
‘Clearly he didn’t evaluate the risks posed doing what he did. He wanted to embarrass, make a point and call out his ex-partner who he had taken issue with.’
Judge Hedworth replied: ‘He has embarrassed himself rather than his former partner.’
He added: ‘The breakdown of your relationship after seven years with your former partner, Jason, led to you failing to be able to cope, effectively not being able to give up on that relationship, and not being able to accept that he may wish to have other people in his life.’
Anderson, of Boldon, South Tyneside, who also admitted dangerous driving, was handed a restraining order to stay away from his former partner.
He was ordered to make a financial contribution to the losses incurred by Liberty Coaches and housing provider Bernicia.
Anderson, who was of good character, had previously apologised for the stunt.
He said: ‘I am completely remorseful of why it happened. I was experiencing the worst mental health day of my life, and it shouldn’t have happened.’
