Teenager admits fatal assault on driver after not being allowed to board bus

A teen has admitted causing the decease of a autobus operator successful an battle that saw him headbutting and “raining punches” onto his victim.

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

The High Court successful Edinburgh heard connected Friday that the onslaught began astatine astir 10.30pm aft Mr Rollinson refused to let the teen onto 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.

The tribunal heard that helium argued with the autobus operator and seemingly began filming him connected his telephone and that, erstwhile the operator grabbed the phone, the teen headbutted him, earlier “raining 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 beingness extinct 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.

Advocate depute John Keenan KC told the court: “The accused attempted to committee the autobus but was refused question owed to his intoxication.

“The accused was agitated and upset by this and argued with the deceased, telling him it was amerciable to garbage question to idiosyncratic nether 16 and helium had nary different mode to get home.

“The deceased turned disconnected the motor of the bus, told different passengers helium was not moving until the accused got disconnected the bus, and made his mode connected to the concourse.”

He explained the 15-year-old continued to reason with him, and “pointed his telephone successful the deceased’s face, seemingly filming him”.

He 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.”

Mr Keenan added: “The deceased appeared initially to beryllium good but, soon aft bending implicit to prime up his cap, collapsed to the crushed unconscious.”

He told the tribunal that 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.”

He added: “Given the adjacent temporal narration betwixt the battle and collapse, the events look linked and, had it not been for the assault, helium whitethorn not person died erstwhile helium did.”

He besides told the tribunal the teen had a fig of erstwhile offences, and that helium had been taxable to a supervision bid for a erstwhile battle connected a autobus operator that ended conscionable weeks earlier the battle connected February 2.

Members of Mr Rollinson’s household who were contiguous astatine the proceeding near portion the tribunal was shown footage of the incident, which had been captured connected CCTV cameras astatine the autobus station.

Shelagh McCall KC, representing the teenager, indicated to the tribunal that a study would request to beryllium drawn up earlier her lawsuit could beryllium sentenced.

She added: “I suggest to reserve immoderate mitigation until a study is available.”

Judge Lady Hood told the teen that since his blameworthy plea had been accepted by the crown, “I formally convict you successful presumption of that plea”.

She added: “You volition necessitate reports earlier proceeding to sentence. Therefore I americium going to telephone for a transgression justness societal enactment report.”

She said a sentencing proceeding would instrumentality spot astatine Inverness High Court connected November 18 2024.

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

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 1 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.”