Nathan Wright has been jailed
Nathan Wright(Image: GMP)
A drunk thug attacked two Metrolink staff who tried to get him off a tram after he fell asleep.
Nathan Wright, 34, punched an off-duty tram driver and left a customer service worker unconscious after assaulting both men. He had refused to disembark from the tram, which was terminating in Trafford due to engineering works on the line.
Manchester Crown Court heard that police were asked to attend Old Trafford Metrolink stop on March 23, at about 5.30pm, after reports of a passenger refusing to leave the tram. Due to engineering works, trams were terminating at Old Trafford station that day.
Wright was asleep, and John Wijnhoven, a customer service worker for Metrolink, boarded the tram and asked him to leave. He refused to leave, saying he needed to continue on the tram for another two stops.
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Mr Wijnhoven was advised to alert the police to assist. Wright said he ‘couldn’t care less’ after overhearing that the police were being called. Meanwhile, Mark Bentham, an off-duty tram driver, tried to help his colleague.
But Wright then punched him to the cheek. The punch was so forceful that he thought he’d been knocked off his feet, and his glasses fell off.
Wright, who was under the influence of alcohol, then turned his attention to Mr Wijnhoven. The Metrolink worker later said he ‘couldn’t remember anything’ of what happened, other than feeling pain to the back of his head.
During the attack, he was hit several times to his face and body. Colleagues recalled hearing Mr Wijnhoven ‘screaming in pain’. He was able to push Wright onto the tram tracks, where Wright began throwing ballast stones at Mr Wijnhoven, with one of him hitting him to the back of the head, causing a cut.
Nathan Wright(Image: GMP)
Mr Wijnhoven fell to the floor and Wright kicked him to the head. Wright fled but was caught by police nearby, hiding in a garden. Mr Wijnhoven was briefly knocked unconscious, and was taken to hospital.
He suffered swelling and a black eye. When he was interviewed by police, Wright told officers: “I’ve missed up. I told them to stay away from me. I hit him because he pushed me. I shouldn’t have kicked him though.”
Wright, who has 71 previous offences on his record, including for violence, was jailed for 31 months. Defending, David Morton said Wright is ‘full of regret’.
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He said Wright was drink and had gambling problems at the time. On the day of the attack he had lost a ‘significant’ amount of money and was in a ‘poor place’, the court was told.
Mr Morton said Wright was now sober while on remand in prison, and had been working positively within the custodial environment. Wright, of Bebbington Close, Sale, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault by beating and possessing cannabis.