Foul-mouthed Wirksworth man scared girls on a bus

A foul-mouthed man who scared girls on a bus and intimidated a bus driver has been given a conditional discharge so he can continue to address his mental health issues.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, December 8, how Jacob Woolley, 26, of Wheatcroft Close, Wirksworth, had been on a bus driving from Bakewell to Derby when he became abusive to girls and the driver.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “A 16 year-old girl had got on the bus with her friends on Bakewell Road, Matlock, and Woolley got on and sat next to her friend when the bus was empty.

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“The girl he sat next to became uncomfortable and he was leaning into her and began talking to her and she became upset and her friends tried to get him to move but he refused.

“His behaviour was volatile and unpredictable and one of the girls made separate videos showing his behaviour as he was shouting and swearing.”

The court heard how the bus driver asked him to get off and he made inappropriate sexual and violent comments and insults.

Mrs Allsop added that after Woolley had got off the bus he tried to prise open the doors so the bus driver called the police.

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Woolley told police he had been to the JobCentre at Matlock and that public transport makes him anxious and he had taken more medicine than he needs to make him feel better.

He also told police that he could not remember the bus journey but if he had caused any offence he did not mean to and he was sorry.

Woolley pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour after the incident on November 20.

Defence solicitor Julie Page said: “Mr Woolley has a long history with the mental health services.

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“This has deteriorated significantly in the last few months and the primary reason is because of the breakdown of a relationship.”

She added that using public transport makes Woolley extremely anxious and he took his medicine but found some old medication and consumed this too.

Magistrates accepted that Woolley had shown remorse and was ashamed and that he is beginning to engage with the mental health services.

Woolley was sentenced to an 18 month conditional discharge but magistrates warned him that if he commits another crime he will be re-sentenced for the incident on the bus and for any new offence.

He was also ordered to pay £85 costs, a £15 victim surcharge and a £150 courts charge.