00:00A London bus driver who chased a man accused of stealing a
00:05passenger's necklace later found himself at the centre of a disciplinary
00:08investigation.
00:10Over how he handled the confrontation.
00:13Bus driver Mark Heahe gave chase.
00:15He retrieved the necklace but said the man returned to the bus to
00:17confront him and threw the first punch.
00:20The tribunal heard Heahe responded in self-defence and then restrained
00:24the man for almost half a minute.
00:25Metroline told the hearing the man had returned to the bus to apologise
00:29and that Heahe.
00:30Heahe had used an excessive use of force.
00:33The men were both arrested.
00:34However, Heahe was.
00:35subsequently released and informed he would face no further police
00:38action.
00:39The day after the incident.
00:40On the 25th of June 2024.
00:42He here was suspended from duty.
00:44An instructor.
00:45directed to attend an investigation.
00:47At a disciplinary hearing.
00:49Heahe was told.
00:50At a disciplinary hearing Heahe was told.
00:50The allegations included bringing the company into disrepute.
00:53By physically assaulting a passenger.
00:55And that he'd also failed to protect his own safety.
00:57And that of his passengers.
00:58By leaving the bus unattended.
01:00With the engine running.
01:01And chasing an assailant.
01:02Heahe told the hearing.
01:04He'd active.
01:05instinctively.
01:06In running after the man.
01:07And stated.
01:08He'd left the doors open.
01:09And the handbrake on.
01:10The hearing was shown a note.
01:11From a detective.
01:12Which stated.
01:13The claimant had used force.
01:14That was proportional.
01:15And necessary.
01:16In the circumstances.
01:17In defence of himself.
01:18And the female passenger.
01:19The panel.
01:20Was left away.
01:21Where the mark.
01:22Heahe's actions.
01:23Amounted to necessary self defence.
01:24Or crossed the line.
01:25into misconduct.
01:26That justified his dismissal.
01:30To be continued.
01:31To be continued.
01:32To be continued.
01:33To be continued.
01:34To be continued.
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01:58To be continued.
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