CARDIFF: Laughing yob ‘saw bus robbery as joke

Laughing yob ‘saw bus robbery as joke’

A callous thief laughed as he robbed two teenagers on a bus and punched the good Samaritan who came to their aid.

Police said the sick offender and his cowardly friends, who were captured on CCTV, seemed to think robbing and terrifying the bus passengers was “amazing” and “a joke”.

Detectives have released footage of the evening attack on the number 57 Cardiff central bus station to Pontprennau service in a bid to capture the robber and trace the brave woman who risked her safety to intervene and even gave the teenage victims £5 to replace the money stolen from them.

The man, said to have black, cracked teeth, threatened to assault the 16-year-old boy and girl sat at the back of the bus before stealing from them.

Then he was confronted by the blonde female passenger, but he punched her in the face, pushing her head back and causing it to hit the side of the bus.

Detective Constable Andy Church from Rumney CID said the three men boarded the bus in St Mary Street, Cardiff, at around 9pm, on Thursday.

They sat apart and CCTV pictures show the offender wandering up and down the bus aisle before sitting down next to the teenage victims at the back.

DC Church said: “He engages them in conversation, initially quite pleasantly, but then he starts threatening them.

“He asks to look at the boy’s phone, asks if they’ve got any money and becomes more verbally aggressive.

“When it turns nasty the girl shouts at the driver to stop the bus, but he thinks they’re larking around and doesn’t take much notice.

“The lad seems to think ‘this is great’.

“He thinks it’s amazing that he can rob people and threaten people.

“He thinks it’s a joke.

“When the woman intervenes he thinks it’s a joke and he punches her.

“He just thinks it’s amusing that he can steal property and put people in fear of travelling on public transport.”

The offender and his two friends left the bus near Llanedeyrn Primary School, Llanedeyrn Drive, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff.

The thief took the boy’s mobile phone and MP3 player and stole £5 from the girl.

He was white, aged in his late teens or early 20s and around 5ft 2in tall.

He had dark hair, a small goatee beard, black cracked teeth and wore a black tracksuit.

One of his friends was aged in his early 20s and blond. He was of a larger build and wore a red top with blue three-quarter-length jeans.

The other man had dark hair and wore a grey top.

A Cardiff Bus spokesman said: “Cardiff Bus has a zero tolerance policy towards this kind of behaviour and considers the safety of its passengers and staff as its number one priority.

“We are therefore appalled by the behaviour of these youths and wholeheartedly support the police in their efforts to catch the perpetrators.

“By the end of the year all Cardiff Bus vehicles will be fitted with CCTV cameras, with the vast majority of our fleet having them at present.”

If you witnessed the attack or can help trace the offender and his friends, call Rumney CID on 029 2077 4233.

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/10/13/laughing-yob-saw-bus-robbery-as-joke-91466-19944073/