‘Quite traumatised': Brisbane bus driver may have permanent ear damage after attack
A 21-year-old man from Sunnybank has been charged over allegations of an assault that occurred on a bus in South Brisbane on Friday night in front of shocked passengers.
Footage that was first published on community Facebook page Brisbane Incident Alerts shows a bus driver trying to remove a man from the bus about 6pm.
Police will allege the passenger responded by repeatedly punching the 46-year-old driver, stopping briefly to leave the bus before returning and punching him in the head.
Rail Tram and Bus Union state secretary Tom Brown described the alleged attack as 'brutal' and said the driver had suffered facial injuries and possible permanent damage to his ear.
'He is quite traumatised by the incident and that's something that might take a while to heal up,' Brown told ABC Radio on Monday morning.
'This was a brutal and sustained assault … some of those punches would have floored [professional boxer] Jeff Horn.
'[He's] a known trouble-maker on the bus, so he's not just a danger to the driver, he's a danger to other passengers.
'Our driver identified him and tried to escort him off the bus, and then obviously it blew up.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Who is Joshua Brown, the alleged Melbourne childcare rapist?
Even as a teenager, Joshua Brown knew his future lay in childcare. In his final three years of high school, he was already studying early childhood education at TAFE, fast-tracking his path to a job only weeks after graduation. Working at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne, Brown apparently attracted no notice from regulators for almost a decade until he was charged with 70 counts of child sex abuse, including rape, this year. When police raided the 26-year-old's home in Point Cook in May, he had a valid working with children check and no criminal record. Minutes down the road from his house were his old Catholic schools, as well as the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre, where it's alleged he abused at least eight babies and toddlers and contaminated children's food with bodily fluids. Brown's former classmates at Emmanuel College were shocked when the news broke on Tuesday. They described a 'loner' in high school with few friends but no obvious concerns. Few people wanted to comment, and Brown's social media presence appeared to have been wiped clean since his arrest in May. Brown grew up in Point Cook and remained in the area in a rented home which he shared with a male housemate and a cat, which is now sitting vacant. Nearby were at least five of the childcare centres where he worked, though authorities are still scrambling to update his full employment history, after this masthead revealed it was wider than first released publicly to families. Brown was easily recognisable to parents for his distinctive Celtic arm tattoos and ginger-coloured hair, which he often dyed different colours. Some families spoke of his easy laughter. He worked at large childcare chains G8 Education and Affinity Education and often did short-stint relief work at other centres.

The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Who is Joshua Brown, the alleged Melbourne childcare rapist?
Even as a teenager, Joshua Brown knew his future lay in childcare. In his final three years of high school, he was already studying early childhood education at TAFE, fast-tracking his path to a job only weeks after graduation. Working at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne, Brown apparently attracted no notice from regulators for almost a decade until he was charged with 70 counts of child sex abuse, including rape, this year. When police raided the 26-year-old's home in Point Cook in May, he had a valid working with children check and no criminal record. Minutes down the road from his house were his old Catholic schools, as well as the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre, where it's alleged he abused at least eight babies and toddlers and contaminated children's food with bodily fluids. Brown's former classmates at Emmanuel College were shocked when the news broke on Tuesday. They described a 'loner' in high school with few friends but no obvious concerns. Few people wanted to comment, and Brown's social media presence appeared to have been wiped clean since his arrest in May. Brown grew up in Point Cook and remained in the area in a rented home which he shared with a male housemate and a cat, which is now sitting vacant. Nearby were at least five of the childcare centres where he worked, though authorities are still scrambling to update his full employment history, after this masthead revealed it was wider than first released publicly to families. Brown was easily recognisable to parents for his distinctive Celtic arm tattoos and ginger-coloured hair, which he often dyed different colours. Some families spoke of his easy laughter. He worked at large childcare chains G8 Education and Affinity Education and often did short-stint relief work at other centres.

Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill picked to co-lead Victoria childcare review following shock alleged child sex crimes revelations
Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill and a Victorian public service veteran have been chosen to lead an urgent review into childcare safety in Victoria following shocking revelations of alleged offences against children by a childcare worker. Victoria Police launched a major investigation after Melbourne man Joshua Dale Brown, 26, was arrested and charged with over 70 child sex offences against eight alleged victims who had been in his care. Mr Brown had worked at 20 childcare centres across the state since 2017, and hundreds of families have been urged to have their potentially affected children tested for 'infectious diseases". A second man, Michael Simon Wilson, 36, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with child sex offences as part of the ongoing police probe. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said Victorians were 'horrified' by the allegations and on Wednesday announced that an 'urgent review' into childcare safety in the state had been commissioned. 'I know that right across our state, (Victorians) turned to one another and asked how this sort of alleged offending could ever be possible within a childcare centre,' the premier said in a statement. The premier said she wanted the review to look at potentially having CCTV installed in childcare centres, and she also announced a 'Victorian register' will be created. Ms Allan on Thursday then revealed the review will be co-led by Mr Weatherill, who served as South Australia Premier between 2011 and 2018, and Victorian public service veteran Pamela White, who has held senior roles within the sector for over three decades. '(Mr Weatherill) is recognised for his leadership in early childhood and tertiary education and was appointed in 2020 to lead the Minderoo Foundation's Thrive by Five early learning reform campaign,' Ms Allan stated. The 'short and sharp' review will hone in on steps the state government can take immediately, the premier said. A deadline of August 15 has been set for the review to report back to the government – which Ms Allan said will adopt all recommendations the review puts forward. Ms Allan has also outlined that the use of personal devices will be banned in the state's childcare centres by September 26, with the possibility of fines of up to $50,000 being imposed on centres if the new rule is breached after that date. 'My Government will take every action possible – as soon as possible – to strengthen safety standards in early childhood education and care, to keep Victorian children safe,' she said. The Victorian Department of Health activated a public health response this week following the arrest of Mr Brown - whose charges include sexual penetration of a child under 12, producing and transmitting child abuse material, and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety. The department urged parents of children who have potentially been exposed to Mr Brown to be screened for infectious diseases. Victorian Police Acting Commander Janet Stevenson on Tuesday said the investigation is 'incredibly distressing and confronting' for all those involved. 'The most important thing for our investigators was that we needed to identify the [alleged] victims involved,' Acting Commander Stevenson said in a statement. 'These are some of the most vulnerable members of our community and the conversations police have had to have with their families were no doubt life changing in the worst possible way.'