Two teenagers who unleashed a sustained attack on a train conductor on the platform at Tenby Railway Station have appeared in court.
Jake Clark, of Stepaside, and Reuben Glanville-Ellis of Somerset Place, Tenby, both aged 18, appeared at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court on Tuesday to admit charges of jointly assaulting a train conductor on October 4 of last year.
Prosecutor Vaughan Pritchard-Jones told the court that the complainant, who works as a guard for the rail service, arrived at the Tenby station shortly before 8 pm on the service from Pembroke Dock.
“The complainant, who was about to swap trains, saw a young male, which turned out to be Jake Clark, intoxicated in the carriage. He was clearly drunk and his friend Reuben Glanville-Ellis was standing on the platform with his girlfriend at the time.
“The conductor wasn’t happy that Mr. Clark was on the train in the state that he was in, but he got off himself. He was so drunk that he was staggering around and walked straight into a pillar on the platform.
“Mr. Clark was told that he would not be allowed back on the train to travel to Kilgetty. At this point, Mr. Glanville-Ellis became aggressive towards the guard and was getting in his personal space, causing concern for the complainant.
“The guard told the pair that he would let the police decide and went towards the cab with his phone.
“As he was about to phone the police, he looked back and saw all three youths walking away, so he thought that was the end of the matter, but then all of a sudden Mr. Glanville-Ellis was spotted trying to grab the train door to stop it from closing.
“The conductor went to check it to see if any damage had been caused, and then spotted Mr. Clark turning around towards him. Concerned for his safety, the guard walked back to the cab, but Mr. Glanville-Ellis ran after him and shoulder charged the guard, causing him to hit the train and fall on the platform.
“Mr. Clark shouted for his friend to hit the guard again, before he too joined in with the attack. According to one eye witness, both youths threw a series of aggressive punches and kicks at the man on the floor.
“The complainant managed to wriggle free, kick out at Mr. Clark and ran back to the cab where he locked himself in.
“This was a sustained assault, and in a victim personal statement given to the police, the complainant said that since the attack, he has been affected mentally, and he was struggling to sleep as the assault was playing over in his head on a loop.
“The victim said that he has serious fears about not being able to continue in his role as a train conductor, as the attack had left him in fear of travelling on a train let alone working, and he was having second thoughts about even leaving his house due to the anxiety the incident had caused him.
“He said it has had a huge effect on his life and he had sought counselling. It also affected him financially, as he had been unable to take any overtime for work,” added Mr. Pritchard-Jones.
Defence solicitor Jonathan Webb told the court that both the defendants accepted culpability and were remorseful.
“Mr. Clark can’t remember hardly anything due to the level of his toxicity. He was on his way home and his mum was due to meet him at Kilgetty train station, five miles away.
“It was a horrible situation entirely, and both are remorseful and apologetic. One has gone out and had too much to drink and a friend has put him on the train, then what happened was a terrible situation. Both are of previous good character and neither the type of boy that goes out and starts thumping people.
“The injuries to the complainant were slight, with only some bruising, which is fortunate,” added Mr. Webb.
Magistrates handed both defendants community orders, with Mr. Clark ordered to undertake 150 hours of unpaid work, and Mr. Glanville-Ellis 100 hours.
Both were ordered to pay prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85.
Mr. Clark and Mr. Glanville-Ellis were ordered to each pay the victim £500 in compensation.Following sentencing, Transport for Wales Security Manager Simon Turton said: “This was a disgraceful unprovoked attack on one of our conductors fuelled by alcohol and we were appalled when we heard what had happened.“Railway staff should be able to carry out their work without fear of violence and we will always work alongside our British Transport Police partners to seek prosecutions wherever possible in the event of such incidents.“The railway can be a dangerous place if you are intoxicated and you should always listen to and respect railway staff who will act to ensure your safety and the safety of all other passengers,” he added.