Slab thrown from Southport bridge smashes train window - BBC News

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

The driver was left "extremely shaken" after the slab was thrown from a footbridge

A train driver narrowly avoided serious injury when a concrete slab thrown from a footbridge smashed through his cabin window.

The incident happened near Meols Cop railway station in Southport, Merseyside, on Wednesday evening.

British Transport Police said a large man wearing a black beanie hat was seen to throw the slab.

Sgt Stephen Lawman said the driver was uninjured but left "extremely shaken by what happened".

He added: "The fact the driver escaped without any injury is astonishing.

"Incidents of this nature are obviously extremely serious. They pose a real threat to the life of staff and passengers, cause thousands of pounds worth of damage and result in delays to services.

"I would urge anyone who has information regarding the identity of those responsible to get in contact with us."

Scum, just scum. If those responsible are caught, they should be charged under Section 33 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861:

33 Casting stone, &c. upon a railway carriage, with intent to endanger the safety of any person therein.

Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously throw, or cause to fall or strike, at, against, into, or upon any engine, tender, carriage, or truck used upon any railway, any wood, stone, or other matter or thing, with intent to injure or endanger the safety of any person being in or upon such engine, tender, carriage, or truck, or in or upon any other engine, tender, carriage, or truck of any train of which such first-mentioned engine, tender, carriage, or truck shall form part, shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable . . . to be kept in penal servitude for life . . .

[Red Squirrel]

A life in chokey seems a fitting penalty.

I do like the phrase 'wood, stone, or other matter or thing' - you'd think the word 'thing' had it covered on its own! I suspect victorian lawyers were paid by the word.

[thetrout]

With my literal thinking head on "other matter" to me would imply a liquid such as Water or Paint vs. "thing" being a solid object such as Coffee Cup or Beer Can