Women spared jail over Vic bus attack
A mother and daughter who punched, bit and spat on a bus driver who asked them to pay for their fares have each been sentenced to a community order.
Tahlya Evans and her 22-year-old daughter, Courtney, attacked the driver after he requested they tap on their Myki cards after picking them up at Dandenong Plaza shopping centre.
The verbal abuse the women heaped on Favaae Tuiloma soon escalated into violence.
As Mr Tuiloma tried to defend himself, they became more aggressive.
In the CCTV video, Tahyla Evans can be seen biting the driver's thumb as Courtney grabbed his genitals.
In the days after the attack, Evans claimed she had acted in self-defence.
"The driver punched me to the side of the head first, then I proceeded to punch him," she claimed.
The pair covered their faces as they left court after pleading guilty to several assault-related charges.
Evans, the chief offender, was sentenced to an 18-month Community Corrections Order.
Courtney, who was also charged with punching and biting a youth worker in a separate incident in February, was sentenced to a 12-month Community Corrections Order.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Evans suffered from a litany of mental health issues, while her daughter, and primary carer, Courtney, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Their respective conditions were mitigating factors in their sentencing.
Mr Tuiloma has resumed driving and said he had forgiven the pair for what they put him through.
