A row on a bus has cost a 59-year-old Santon man fines totalling £1,100.

John Robert Johnston admitted two counts of common assault and one of provoking behaviour, when he appeared before magistrates on Tuesday, June 24.

He was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court that the offences took place on May 10, at around 9.30pm, when Johnston was a passenger on a Route One bus, travelling from the south of the island to Douglas.

A group of youths were playing music loudly and were asked to turn it down.

Johnston exchanged words with a man, and was said to have put his hand on his chest and asked him: ‘What the f*** did you say to my Mrs?’

He also told the man: ‘I’ll be waiting for you at your bus stop when you get off the bus.’

Johnston was then said to have stared at the man for the remainder of their journey.

At The Ford shelter, at Mount Murray, as they got off the bus, Johnston threw his arm at the male, but it hit the man’s partner first, before hitting the man himself.

He was then said to have grabbed another male by the throat area.

Police officers went to the defendant’s home, at Fairways Drive, later that night and arrested him.

He claimed that the complainant had grabbed him first and said he had only been defending himself but denied striking anyone.

During a police interview, Johnston said he had been on ‘one out of 10’, when asked how drunk he was.

He said that the man had made a comment about his wife, and he had confronted him about it on the bus.

Johnston said that as they got off the bus, another male had grabbed his arm, so he had grabbed him by the neck in self-defence.

He then admitted he had swung at the first male, but said it had been with an open hand, and maintained that it had not connected.

However, Mr Swain said that the entering of the guilty pleas to the two assaults, meant that Johnston was now accepting the contact.

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers asked magistrates to deal with the offences by way of a financial penalty.

He said that the incident had lasted a very short period of time, just before the passengers were getting off the bus, and that his client was moving away from the confrontation.

The advocate said that Johnston had asked for the music to be turned down because there was a baby on board the bus.

Mr Rodgers said that the male had said something hurtful to his wife and he had responded to this, with one swing of his arm, which had been reckless, and had regrettably connected with a female first, then the male.

Magistrates fined Johnston £400 for each count of common assault, and £300 for the provoking behaviour offence.

He agreed to pay all the amounts within three months.