Four-year sentence for teenager who fatally assaulted bus driver in Elgin

A teen who fatally assaulted a autobus operator aft being refused support to question due to the fact that helium was drunk has been sentenced to 4 years and 4 months successful custody.

Keith Rollinson, 58, died of cardiac apprehension pursuing the battle successful Elgin autobus presumption connected February 2 2024.

The onslaught connected the erstwhile RAF worker began astatine astir 10.30pm, aft helium refused to let the teen to committee his autobus owed to his “noticeably intoxicated” condition.

The 16-year-old, who was 15 astatine the clip of the incidental and cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, had spent the evening drinking with different youths successful Elgin municipality centre, and had gone to the autobus presumption connected St Giles Road with the volition of catching the past autobus home.

Inverness High Court heard the younker argued with Mr Rollinson and seemingly began filming him connected his phone, and that erstwhile the operator grabbed the device, the teen headbutted him and “rained punches connected Mr Rollinson’s caput and body”.

After initially appearing to beryllium unharmed, Mr Rollinson collapsed aft bending down to prime up his headdress from the ground.

He was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital successful Elgin but ne'er regained consciousness, and was pronounced dormant astatine 12.45am connected February 3.

The teen was rapidly traced by constabulary and was initially charged with murder, but aboriginal pleaded blameworthy to the lesser complaint of culpable homicide.

Passing sentence, justice Lady Hood said statements from Mr Rollinson’s household described him arsenic “a existent man with a bosom of golden and a fantastic hubby and father”.

She said the household “have been shattered by their loss”, and that owed to the circumstances of his decease they had been incapable to beryllium with him erstwhile helium died.

“Nothing said oregon done present today, and nary condemnation I tin pass, volition ever beryllium capable to assistance Mr Rollinson’s household with their devastating loss,” the justice added.

Lady Hood told the younker “the harm which resulted from your actions is of the highest level”, and sentenced him to 4 years and 4 months successful custody.

The teenager, dressed successful a achromatic garment and achromatic trousers, showed nary absorption arsenic helium was led from the courtroom.

Earlier the youth’s lawyer Shelagh McCall KC told the tribunal the onslaught connected Mr Rollinson “was not intended, nor was it foreseen by the accused”.

“The incidental was precipitated by an enactment connected the portion of the deceased that appears to person been a trigger,” she said, referring to Mr Rollinson’s grabbing of the youth’s telephone and past stamping connected it.

She told the tribunal this reduced her client’s level of culpability, but acknowledged that “the harm caused was of the highest level”.

Ms McCall besides said her lawsuit understood the seriousness of his actions, and that helium had shown “sincere remorse” for it.

At an earlier proceeding advocator depute John Keenan KC told Edinburgh High Court the teen had been was “refused question owed to his intoxication”.

He had go “agitated and upset by this and argued with the deceased”, and “pointed his telephone successful the deceased’s face, seemingly filming him”.

The advocator continued: “The deceased grabbed the phone, which past led to a carnal conflict during which the accused headbutted the deceased.

“The conflict continued and the deceased threw the telephone to the crushed earlier stamping connected it respective times.

“At this, the accused wholly mislaid control, raining punches connected the deceased’s caput and body. The deceased did not retaliate but tried to get distant from the accused.”

He said a post-mortem introspection recovered that Mr Rollinson had a pre-existing bosom information and was “at hazard of a abrupt fatal cardiac lawsuit astatine immoderate time”.

He continued: “Most apt the carnal altercation arsenic a full led to accrued humor pressure, cardiac arrythmia (irregular heartbeat) followed by cardiac arrest.”

Detective Inspector Andrew Wilson said: “Mr Rollinson’s decease was a calamity which affected a fig of radical crossed Elgin and the wider Moray area. The thoughts of the full policing squad stay with his family, friends and colleagues who person suffered a devastating loss.

“No-one should expect to beryllium the taxable of unit portion simply going astir their occupation and contiguous justness has been delivered with the condemnation of the idiosyncratic liable for this senseless act.

“While nary result tin undo what happened, I anticipation this blameworthy plea brings immoderate measurement of comfortableness to Keith’s family, friends, and colleagues.”

Chief Inspector Mike McKenzie, country commandant for Moray, said: “Since Keith Rollinson’s death, we person been moving intimately with a scope of partners to tackle younker upset successful Elgin, peculiarly astir the autobus station.

“This enactment volition proceed and are committed to moving with partners to forestall and deter anti-social behaviour.”