Warning: This story contains distressing content
A 61-year-old Rotorua bus driver spent two days in hospital after he was allegedly punched, kicked and stomped on by a passenger in an unprovoked attack - the worst a union representative had seen or heard of in at least a decade.
A battered, bruised and swollen Murray Cannell is now recovering at home from his injuries and a concussion.
Cannell was finishing his usual Mitchell Downs route on Friday about 5pm when he stopped at the bus stop by St Michael’s School on Clayton Rd. A man, who had not quite reached the bus stop, had waved him down.
It was raining so Cannell waited for the man to make it to the bus stop.
When the man got on the bus, he told Cannell he did not have any money. Despite this, Cannell allowed him to get on because it was raining.
The bus went up Clayton Rd and onto Pukehangi Rd before going back down Homedale St. Cannell stopped at a bus stop and talked to the man, explaining he should probably get off because the route had ended.
Although his memory is foggy, Cannell said that was when things changed.
“I explained to him how it worked and that I was just doing my job ... I got a few blows and I thought probably better [to get] out of the bus and it was all on from there.”
He said he remembered trying not to provoke the attacker but he also needed to try to protect himself. Cannell was later told by police that they believed the attack lasted several minutes and there was another unrelated passenger on the bus during his ordeal who did not intervene.
“I guess he didn’t want to get involved.”
Cannell remembered being on the ground outside the bus at one point.
He was later told he was knocked out. After regaining consciousness, he tried to get back on the bus but tripped between the bus door and the curb. As he fell backward into the bus, the attack allegedly continued.
Security footage captured what happened but Cannell said he did not want to watch it and he and his wife, Val, had been advised not to look at it as it could be too upsetting.
“It’s not pretty apparently ... I don’t need to see it. I was there.”
Cannell said he remembered gathering himself after the man left and was helped by a woman passing on Homedale St. He called his work to let them know what had happened and then, without thinking, drove the bus back to the depot at Arawa St because in his mind he “had a job to do”.
“Adrenalin kicks in I guess ... I was quite happy to finish my shift. In hindsight, I should have stopped where it all unfolded.”
His work colleagues immediately took him to Rotorua Hospital.
Cannell had worked for 30 years in the aluminium industry and became a bus driver about five years ago.
He said people sometimes got “lippy” and abusive but it was never anything he worried about.
“Verbal [abuse] is something you just let go but this is a bit different ... everyone says I’ve minimised it ... but to me, it will not happen again. It is the society we have to deal with.”
His wife Val Cannell said she was upset the passenger on the bus did not intervene and remained on the bus while her bleeding and battered husband drove it back to Arawa St.
She said her husband was not only dealing with the physical injuries but also the emotional and mental trauma as he played things over and over in his mind wondering what he could have done differently.
She said they were grateful to their friends, family, work colleagues, police and hospital staff for their support.
“Everyone loves Murray. He would not hurt anyone.”
Cityride bus drivers union delegate John Bruner said the alleged assault was the worst he had seen or heard of in at least a decade.
“It was an isolated incident and it’s not something you can guard yourself against.”
He said it was comforting for bus drivers to know there was CCTV footage that captured all incidents that happened on the bus and in this instance it proved invaluable.
A police spokesperson said a 19-year-old has been charged with injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and would reappear in the Rotorua District Court on Friday.
A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson said they were aware of the incident but did not want to comment because it was a police investigation.