A MAN who attacked three bus drivers in an alcohol-fuelled rage has avoided jail.

When the driver on the First East bus Richard Helliwell was on asked him to stop drinking, he launched a verbal assault at him.

As well as threatening Paul Curtis, he later assaulted two other drivers who came to Mr Curtis’ aid on the evening of July 3.

Wayne Bell was forcibly pushed against a bus, punched and kicked while his colleague, Michael Cooper, was punched in the nose.

Helliwell had mixed medication with vodka and strong beer in an attempt to drown his sorrows after seeing his elderly mother suffering with Alzheimer’s.

Lesla Smalls, prosecuting, told Colchester Magistrates’ Court he became disgruntled by the driver’s request.

She said: “He became argumentative and made threats saying: ‘Next time I will see you, you’re a dead man.’

“After walking off, he turned back and then assaulted two drivers.

“By his own admission to police officers, he’s a heavy drinker and it doesn’t take much to make him angry and see red.

“He didn’t remember what he said, but he knew he would’ve been aggressive towards them.

“He also couldn’t remember the assaults because of the overdose and being heavily intoxicated.”

Helliwell, of Tynedale Square, Colchester, admitted all three charges.

Carer to his mum and dad, the 45-year-old visits them every day despite his severe mental health difficulties.

Peter Young. mitigating, said Helliwell is a “someone with a great deal of remorse”.

He added: “He’s very ashamed to appear before court.

“He’d been to see his mum and thought she’d gone. He became very upset and consumed alcohol and all the tablets, and just wanted to get home.

“It sunk in his mum was very ill indeed and he was trying to cope.”

Magistrates handed Helliwell an eight week prison sentence alongside two six-week sentences to run concurrently, but suspended them for 12 months.

He must also pay his victims £250 each.

Chairman of the bench, Helen Parr, said: “The reason we believe it crosses the custodial threshold is because these people are in their workplace and expect to be treated correctly rather than in the way you treated them.

“You do take care of your parents and therefore, there will be an enormous impact if you were sent to immediate custody.”