A man has been sentenced in court for his part in assaulting a Kelowna bus driver in 2019. (File)

Man sentenced in assault of Kelowna transit driver

Christian Habberjam plead guilty on Dec. 10, 2020 to one count of assault causing bodily harm

  • Jan. 29, 2021 12:00 a.m.

A man has been sentenced for his part in assaulting a Kelowna bus driver in 2019.

Christian Habberjam was given a 12-month conditional sentence, followed by 12 months on probation. The first six months of his sentence are to be spend under house arrest, and will include a curfew and councilling.

He pleaded guilty on Dec. 10, 2020 to one count of assault causing bodily harm.

It was previously reported in March 2019 that a Kelowna bus crashed into a wall after the driver was assaulted. The bus was travelling on Rutland Road near the Rutland Exchange. One person was taken to hospital.

Days later, the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union in Kelowna called recent assaults on transit drivers “absolutely tragic.”

They confirmed at the time that a driver had been punched in the head. That weekend, two other drivers were allegedly assaulted in unrelated incidents.

“No one from the public was injured; however, this could have been tragic. Absolutely tragic,” said John Palmer, BC Transit director safety and emergency management.

Habberjam is prohibited from using a regional transport bus in Lake Country, Kelowna, West Kelowna or Peachland, during his sentence.

READ MORE: Update: 6 years in jail for West Kelowna man who viciously beat, abandoned his mother

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: phil.mclachlan@kelownacapnews.com


 

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