Article content

Spitting in the face of a bus driver has earned a Port Moody woman 12 days in jail and 12 months probation.

Lakota Morningstar Kakakaway, 22, was convicted of assault in February and sentenced Nov. 1 in Port Coquitlam provincial court in connection with an incident that took place June 22, 2016 on a Coast Mountain bus.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Port Moody woman gets jail time for spitting at bus driver Back to video

Metro Vancouver Transit Police said Kakakaway boarded a bus at the Lougheed Station bus loop and began swearing repeatedly. She spat in the driver’s face after being ordered off the bus and then fled in a taxi.

As part of her probation, Kakakaway must stay away from the victim and stay off all vehicles operated by the Coast Mountain Bus Company.

“It is gratifying to see the recognition from the courts regarding the serious nature of assaults on bus operators. While this young woman had a history of negative police contacts, she did not have a previous criminal record. This is an extraordinary outcome for a first offence and sends a strong message to offenders and front-line transit staff,” Transit Police Chief Doug LePard said in a statement.

Transit Police say there have been 79 reported incidents of assault on bus operators so far in 2017.