bus…2 Speaking after Paul Moses was found guil

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Speaking after Paul Moses was found guilty, Inspector Andy Dawson of the South-East Collision investigation unit said the bus driver had lied to the jury.

‘He alleged there was a wasp that distracted him insiode the cab.

CCTV proved crucial in this case.

‘All the events were captured on CCTV and he wasn’t making any attempt to swat a wasp.

‘His hands were firmly on the steering wheel.

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He added: ‘The jury in this case found his standard of driving was far below that you would expect from a careful and competent driver.

Inspector Dawson said the case had been a difficult one for the family.

‘The family have been very courageous throughout.

They had to relive the incident on video.

Now they can move on.

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Rebecca Harris, told jurors during the six-day trial that the crash happened while the bus had stopped on Peckham High Street, at the junction of Bellenden Road.

The lights changed to green but a white van jumped the lights and crossed the path of the defendant’s bus.

Miss Harris continued: ‘It would appear that this white van jumped the lights so to speak.

‘The prosecution case is that this defendant became annoyed perhaps or irritated by the white transit van that blocked it’s path.

‘Mr Moses drove his bus slightly to the right towards the rear of the white transit van.

‘This was an aggressive manoeuvre, the prosecution say, no doubt intended to intimidate or to remonstrate with the driver of the van.

‘Having moved the bus to the right however the defendant needed to steer it back to the left.

‘The prosecution say that in his efforts to do so the defendant over-steered or over-corrected and the bus veered sharply to the left and towards the pavement.

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Bus conductor Emma Boffin, who was working with Moses on the number 36 route said after the accident he emerged from the driver’s cabin clutching his head.

Miss Boffin said: ‘The driver came towards me with his hands on his head and said: ”Oh my God.

Oh my God.

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Moses was arrested at the scene and questioned at Peckham Police Station.

Miss Harris said: ‘The defendant said that he quickly took his right hand off the wheel to fan the wasp away.

‘He said that by the time he realised what was happening it was too late.

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The jury heard that the Routemaster bus that Moses drove has very heavy steering and a self-correcting mechanism.

This meant that if the bus swerved it would pull its wheels back to the centre.

The steering wheel would be too heavy to turn with one hand, the jury heard.

Miss Harris said: ‘Driving a double-decker bus full of passengers in a busy shopping precinct in a manner designed to intimidate a van driver is a standard far below what would be expected of a careful and competent bus driver.

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The bus that Moses drove travels on a route between New Cross Gate and Queens Park, north-west London.

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