TWO men who assaulted a bus driver had their case adjourned again by a court.

Christopher Fothergill and Anthony Cooper, both from Darlington, have pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Keith Marsden on November 19 last year.

Fothergill also admits making nuisance phone calls to the emergency services, failing to surrender and a charge of criminal damage relating to a Ford Transit minibus belonging to United Taxis.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Fothergill, who was in breach of a community punishment order, was also awaiting sentence for an offence of robbery to which he had pleaded guilty.

However, another man jointly involved in carrying out that offence had been on the run from police for two months, which meant Fothergill could not be sentenced yet.

Because of the continued delay, his barrister, Tom Mitchell, was offered the chance by the judge, Recorder Taryn Turner, to update a pre-sentence report about his client.

But Mr Mitchell declined, saying: "He is going to prison and no new report will stop that."

Fothergill, 21, of Chatsworth Terrace, was bailed on condition that he lives and sleeps at his home address and observes a curfew between 10pm and 6pm.

Cooper, 20, of Rydal Road, was also bailed with the same condition that he lives and sleeps at his home address.

Recorder Turner adjourned the case until October 28.