A speeding double-decker bus driver who repeatedly scrolled through his phone before striking a pedestrian in Newcastle has been jailed for 27 months. Liam Beamson, 27, was doing 45mph in a 30mph zone on Shields Road, Byker, when he hit a 33-year-old man crossing the road, leaving him with serious injuries.
Distraction before collision
In the 15 minutes before the impact, Beamson's eyes were off the road 63 times, and at one point he sprayed himself with deodorant, according to dash cam and cab footage. He failed to see the victim until less than two seconds before hitting him, and despite braking, was still above the speed limit when he knocked him over.
Prosecutors said his "attention appears to be, at times, everywhere but where it should be, which is on the road ahead". Beamson told police he had been looking for a good song and admitted it was "absolutely ridiculous". He later said he had been scrolling through TikTok at the wheel.
Victim's injuries and impact
The victim, who was out with a friend but not intoxicated, suffered fractures to his eye socket and cheek bone, wounds to his forehead and mouth, and continues to experience life-changing consequences more than two years later. His father said he has been "totally changed" by the incident, with memory loss, anger issues, and increased anxiety. He lost his job as a chef because he could not remember how to do it.
The collision occurred on May 8, 2024, just before midnight, as Beamson was returning to a depot after dropping off his last passenger.
Court sentencing
Judge Edward Bindloss told Beamson: "There was a prolonged period of inattention on your behalf. You can clearly be seen using a mobile phone in your cab, regularly checking it and looking at it with your eyes off the road." He added: "It seems to me you had mentally checked out for the night - your last passenger had got off and you were driving back to the depot. You were paying little attention to the road ahead. That would be bad enough, but you were speeding as well."
Beamson, of Prospect Avenue, Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed for 27 months and banned from driving for three years. He had received penalty points and a six-month driving ban in 2024 and 2025 for failing to disclose the identity of a driver, but had no previous criminal convictions.
In his defence, Mark Harrison said Beamson had worked as a bus driver for around five years with no prior issues, and that he had genuine regret and remorse. Harrison noted Beamson had since retrained and obtained alternative employment.
