Parents push for change after violent assault on Junee school bus

PARENTS are demanding action after a violent altercation erupted aboard a school bus near Junee on Friday afternoon, unfolding in full view of dozens of frightened students travelling home from Wagga.

A 53-year-old man has since been charged over the incident, which occurred on a shared school and public bus service on Byrnes Road and has reignited calls for student-only bus services.

Police allege the man became aggressive towards the female bus driver before a confrontation broke out with a 61-year-old male passenger after the bus stopped near the Junee abattoir.

Confronting footage of the incident, obtained by The Junee Bulletin, appears to show the bus already stopped when the older man stands from his seat, approaches the 53-year-old and places an object around his neck.

The female bus driver is then seen attempting to de-escalate the situation before a violent altercation unfolds in the aisle of the bus.

Image: Supplied

The footage appears to show the younger man pushing the older passenger to the floor before a third adult passenger intervenes and attempts to separate the pair.

Following the incident, the younger man can be heard addressing students aboard the bus.

“How f****** dare you grab me from behind mate, and with a rope, in front of students,” he says in the footage before apologising to the children.

“Sorry kids. I only did that to get myself out of that position.”

The 61-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being transported to Junee Hospital.

Police investigations moved quickly on Friday night, with a 53-year-old man arrested about 7.45pm and taken to Junee Police Station where he was charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The man was remanded in custody to appear via audio visual link in a bail court on Saturday.

The incident occurred on one of the regular afternoon school services operated by Junee Buses between Wagga and Junee.

The service carries dozens of local students each day while also accommodating members of the public who rely on regional public transport.

The buses collect students from up to 16 schools across Wagga, including at least nine primary schools.

The Junee-Wagga school bus also accommodates members of the public who rely on regional public transport | File Image/Wikimedia/Bidgee ( CC BY-SA 3.0)

The mother of a senior student who was aboard the bus, and who requested to remain anonymous, praised the female bus driver for the way she handled the situation, as well as an adult passenger who stepped in to separate the men.

“Every student stayed exactly where they were seated for the duration of the assault,” she said.

“After the man was pulled away and moved to the front of the bus by another passenger, the driver called out to a year 11 student at the back of the bus to call police.

“Credit to the kids, they were calm, supported each other and didn’t intervene. If they had, they would have been hurt.”

The woman said her son instead focused on reassuring frightened students around him.

“My year 11 son was on the bus. He’s a tall, strong boy, but he knew the level of violence displayed by the man would have most likely turned towards him if he intervened,” she said.

“What he did do was assure those around him, especially the scared female students, that he would protect them if the man did pose a physical risk to them.”

Police, paramedics and panicked parents attended the scene near the Junee abattoir on Byrnes Road on Friday afternoon | Image: Google Maps

Family members of the driver said she remained deeply upset by the incident, particularly because of the impact it had on the children aboard the bus.

One relative said the local grandmother was “too shattered, not for herself but for what the kids had to experience on the bus”.

For many children on board, Friday’s events were deeply distressing.

Junee mother Nicolette James turned to social media seeking urgent help after receiving a message from her 12-year-old daughter, who told her she was scared because a “crazy guy” was on the bus abusing the driver.

“Can someone please go check in on my daughter,” she wrote, sharing a screenshot from the Find My app showing her daughter’s location near the Junee abattoir on Byrnes Road.

“There was another assault on a school bus. I’m stuck in Wagga at the moment. I just need to make sure she gets home safely.”

Images: Facebook/Nicolette James

The post quickly attracted dozens of responses from concerned residents, with several offering to collect Ms James’ daughter or stay with her until she could return from Wagga.

The Junee mother later commended the Year 11 student who called police and said her daughter praised the bus driver, describing her as “a nice lady”.

“She got home safely and told me the bus driver did a great job at trying to stop it and calm all the children down,” Ms James wrote.

“And a massive thank you to the year 11 boy who called the police.”

Junee Buses operations manager Heather Howell attended the scene after being notified of the incident and later apologised to families.

“Unfortunately there was an incident on the bus on the way home,” Ms Howell wrote.

“As soon as I was notified, I called the police and attended the scene. I deeply apologise to everyone involved.”

She invited concerned parents to contact the company or attend the Junee Buses depot to discuss the incident.

Concerned parents are encouraged to contact Junee Buses to discuss the incident | Image: Google Maps

The assault has reignited a long-running debate about schoolchildren sharing the same bus with members of the public.

Parents have repeatedly raised concerns over the arrangement, arguing students should be able to travel to and from school without being exposed to such risks.

Junee father Joe Flaws said it was not the first time children had witnessed an incident involving adult passengers.

“This is the second incident that has occurred on this bus with adults in front of all aged children,” he said.

“Our daughter has not long gotten over the last incident she witnessed. I think it’s time that our local member got involved since the bus company can’t change it.”

Responding to Ms James’ post on Facebook, Sharon Brewer-Manning said it was “mind blowing” that children had been forced to witness such a serious altercation.

She said students were left distressed after being trapped on the bus while the assault unfolded.

“I know my child and others are very distressed and traumatised after witnessing this, being trapped inside the bus while this took place,” Ms Brewer-Manning wrote.

“It was only luck that a child wasn’t physically hurt. Something needs to be done to ensure the children aren’t put at risk again.”

Another parent who attended the scene said the behaviour of both men had left a lasting impression.

The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Junee Bulletin the level of violence and aggression displayed was “uncontrolled and beyond excessive”.

“The best way I can describe it would be two grown men on a bus, both behaving absolutely atrociously, surrounded by school children who were behaving in every way these two grown men weren’t,” she said.

Other parents questioned why adult passengers were permitted to travel alongside school children at all.

“This is terrible … teachers and bus drivers all need working with children’s checks to have contact with children, but these random strangers can access the buses and kids without them. Surely this is enough reason for concern,” Julie Garnock wrote.

Andrew Dwyer agreed.

“The kids need safe travel arrangements as they have to go to school,” he said.

“Convenience isn’t a good enough excuse to have the public amongst school children.”

Several parents said they planned to push for changes to the service, arguing Friday’s incident highlighted the need for students to travel separately from adult passengers.

Police are continuing their investigation and are urging anyone with information or mobile phone footage of the incident to contact Junee Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.