Josh Harry, the bus driver seen in a viral video snatching a passenger’s phone after she asked him to lower the volume of the music in the vehicle, was yesterday fined $80,000 after he admitted to four charges laid against him.
Harry, of Lot 28 Back Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, pleaded guilty when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse in George-town.
He admitted that on April 12, he breached the condition of road service licence and was fined $20,000 or in default four weeks in prison. He also confessed that he was making loud and continuous noise and was fined $10,000 or in default two weeks in prison.
Additionally, Harry admitted to misconduct as a driver and was fined $25,000 or five weeks in jail. Finally, the bus driver pleaded guilty to failing to carry a conductor and was fined $25,000 or five weeks imprisonment.
The prosecutor asked that the man face the maximum fines for the offences that he admitted to.
In the video, circulated widely on social media and seen by this newspaper, a female passenger in the bus Harry was driving asked that he lower the volume of the music. But instead, he stopped the bus and asked the woman to leave.
The passenger after refusing to leave the bus continued to video record the encounter on her phone and was subsequently attacked by Harry. The video showed the driver snatching the phone out of the woman’s hand in an attempt to prevent her from videoing. According to the police, the woman’s phone was damaged.
He was placed on $30,000 station bail and is expected to be charged with assault and damage to property on Wednesday.
