A pair of teenage yobs spat on a Good Samaritan and shouted they had Covid at him after he tried to stop them picking on an elderly man.
Olivia Hunter and Skye Thompson were on board an Edinburgh bus when they became unruly towards other passengers in May last year.
The louts began to abuse an elderly male and concerned passenger Jamie Collins stepped in and “challenged their behaviour”.
Mr Collins told Hunter and Thompson, both 19, they should leave the man alone and to “respect their elders”.
But when the pair of teens stood up to get off the bus they both spat on Mr Collins and told him “I have Covid”.
Hunter and Thompson pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and to assaulting Mr Collins when they appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today (Friday).
Prosecutor Rosie Cook told the court Mr Collins and his sister boarded the number 16 Lothian Bus at around 6.15pm on May 5 last year.
Ms Cook said: “At the time of the offence the bus was busy with members of the public. At this time both accused began shouting and swearing and causing annoyance to members of the public.
“Both accused began to focus on an elderly male and as a result Mr Collins challenged their behaviour. He told them to respect their elders.
“The two accused became verbally abusive towards Mr Collins calling him ‘a fat pig’.”
The fiscal said the pair continued to shout and swear and as they got off the bus and as they passed Mr Collins they “spat at him with the spit landing on his clothing”.
Ms Cook added: “They said [to Mr Collins] ‘I have Covid’ or words to that effect.”
The victim decided to report the matter to the police and after officers checked the bus CCTV Hunter and Thompson, both from Dalkeith, Midlothian, were identified and later arrested.
Solicitors Robert More, for Hunter, and Sandy Rayburn, representing Thompson, said they would reserve their mitigation to the sentencing hearing.
Sheriff Norman McFadyen deferred sentence to next month for social work reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be prepared.
Hunter and Thompson both admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and stating they had Covid while travelling on a bus between Leith Walk and Annfield, Edinburgh, on May 5 last year.
They also admitted to assaulting Jamie Collins by spitting on his body during the same incident.
