A thug who assaulted a bus driver after launching a foul-mouthed tirade in front of passengers has been jailed.

Jamie Lee Cleaver, 27, of Fir Court, Kennedy Avenue, Macclesfield, was sentenced on Friday after previously admitting one count of common assault on bus driver Stephen Wilkes and one charge of criminal damage.

Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard Cleaver flagged down an Arriva bus on Kennedy Avenue, Macclesfield at around 4.25pm on December 11 last year.

Prosecuting, Robin Lynch, said: “The bus stopped and Mr Cleaver boarded seemingly in an agitated state.

“He began shouting and swearing in front of passengers which included female children.

“His complaint seemed to be he had not been let on a previous bus.

“Mr Cleaver then punched the Perspex screen between him and the driver eight or nine times with his fist causing it to dislodge and land on the driver.”

The court heard that Cleaver then left the bus.

When Mr Wilkes, who was not injured in the incident, later described the man to a colleague Cleaver’s name was mentioned and police were informed.

When Cleaver was interviewed by officers after being arrested he said he was angry because a previous bus had failed to let him on in snowy and icy weather.

The court was told by Mr Lynch that aggravating features of the case were that the assault took place on a public servant doing his job and that the offence took place in front of children.

Cleaver had four previous convictions for seven offences.

Cleaver had a similar previous conviction in July last year for assaulting a taxi driver and in November 2017 had been convicted of criminal damage and threatening behaviour after an incident in Pizza Express.

He had also failed to comply with terms of the two community orders imposed in his sentence for those offences.

Defending Andrew Stewart, said that his client suffered from mental illness and had thought that the driver on the first bus which failed to let him on was ‘laughing at him’.

He said his client had mistakenly blamed the second bus driver for the actions of the first and that he had just dislodged the plastic window and not broken it.

The bench sentenced Cleaver to eight weeks in prison.

After the hearing, an Arriva spokesperson, said: “We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously, and will take legal action to prosecute whenever it is necessary.”