Shropshire man jailed for spitting in the face of train conductor

Jacob Bassom, aged 20, of Doddington, Whitchurch, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Magistrates’ Court on 6 September after being found guilty of assault.

The incident took place on board an Arriva Trains Wales service on Sunday, 12 August, after Bassom had boarded the train at Whitchurch.

The court heard that he tried to go straight into the toilet but was unable to do so as both cubicles were locked.

While carrying out routine ticket checks, the female conductor asked Bassom for his ticket. He said he didn’t have one and had no money to buy one.

She then asked him to leave the train at Prees, which was the next stop on the service. At first he refused, insisting he would be travelling to Shrewsbury, but as the train pulled in to Prees, Bassom stood directly in front of the conductor and spat in her face.

When he stepped off the train on to the platform, he again turned towards the conductor and spat in her face a second time.

Bassom was identified from CCTV footage and later arrested by British Transport Police officers and charged with assault.

Investigating officer PC Kirk Smith, from British Transport Police Shrewsbury, said: “This was a vile and degrading attack on a female conductor who was simply trying to carry out her job.

“She was extremely upset and horrified by Bassom’s actions, and could not believe what he had done.

“Bassom’s behaviour was disgusting and entirely unacceptable, and I welcome the sentence handed down by magistrates.”