Bus Operator Fined After Knife Pursuit of Snowball-Throwing Teens

A bus operator, fined £300, pursued a group of young individuals with a knife after they threw snowballs at him. Preston Lodowica, aged 53, was at Killingworth Shopping Centre in North Tyneside on 1 December of the previous year when he was reportedly struck by snowballs thrown by several teenagers, aged 14 to 16, according to proceedings at Newcastle Crown Court. He then took a fruit knife and pursued them for a brief distance until a security guard intervened. Following his admission to charges of possessing a bladed article and employing threatening language, he received a 12-month community order along with a fine. The court was informed that Lodowica, residing at Victoria Mews in Blyth, had been dismissed from his employment with Go North East due to the incident. However, he had subsequently secured a position with a different company, which was fully apprised of his conduct. Upon his arrest, he informed law enforcement that “he would never have hurt anyone and only wanted to scare the youths.” Recorder Mark Giuliani addressed Lodowica, stating: “You do not scare children away with a knife in public, it is clearly dangerous.” The judge acknowledged that the bus driver was “frustrated” but deemed his actions “completely unacceptable,” further remarking that as an adult, he ought to set a positive example. Additionally, Lodowica received an order to pay £100 in compensation to the security guard who reported him to the police. Failure to pay the fine could result in a seven-day jail sentence.