Teenagers who attacked passenger for asking them to stop pressing bus bell spared jail

 
Attackers: the three teenagers set upon Bronson Maisey for asking them to stop pressing the bell to get off a bus
19 February 2014
WEST END FINAL

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Three teenagers who attacked a bus passenger after he asked them to stop pressing the bell repeatedly have been spared jail.

Bronson Maisey, 39, was punched and slapped by the trio on the double decker N25 bus in east London in December 2012.

Shaqueil Samuels, 19, joined supermarket worker Adebambo Karumwi, 18, and fitness instructor Roland Mubenga, 19, in the attack in which they tried to drag Mr Maisey off the bus.

Security officer Mr Maisey managed to cling to a pole to save himself.

Mr Maisey had been travelling on the N25 night bus from Bow towards Stratford in the early hours of December 2012 when the thugs started pressing the stop button.

When he said they did not need to press it again and again they turned on him.

Just three days earlier Samuels had repeatedly punched a passenger on a train going from Ilford to Liverpool Street.

Samuels had stared at 49-year-old passenger Hamadi Nebili and said: “Are you looking? Are you gay?”

He then unloaded a barrage of punches at the terrified passenger, leaving him with serious head wounds which required stitching up.

Samuels, of Manor Park, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault causing actual bodily harm. Karumi, of Manor Park, and Mubenga, of Gants Hill, were convicted of one count each of causing ABH.

However all three defendants narrowly avoided prison after they were able to show they could pay compensation to their victims.

Sentencing, Judge Sarah Paneth said: “These were two serious assaults on public transport without provocation or justification.

“I’ve been told and reject the notion that your actions (Samuels) were due to what you believed to be others’ perception of yourself as a young black male – you cannot be defended on circumstances that are habitual.

“What you all did was conform to the stereotype you so despise and brought shame to the black community and to your families.

“You all come from stable and supportive families but you do not deserve medals for travelling on public transport since the offence with no problems –millions of people do that every day.

“It was a group attack on a lone person and you are all responsible – look at it this way, I am sure the three of you would not have chosen to attack a young man with a group of friends – Mr Maisey was an easy target.

“I accept this was out of character as there is no evidence of this behaviour before or after these incidents.”

Judge Paneth then handed Samuels a suspended sentence of two years and ordered him to complete 200 hours unpaid work and pay his two victims £500 each.

Mubenga received a one year suspended sentence and Karumwi 15 months, which was also suspended. They were ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and pay Mr Maisey £500 each.

Judge Paneth added: “I make it clear the only reason you are all not going into custody today is that these incidents are extremely out of character and isolated.”

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