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Dangerous offender assessment sought in bus driver attack

A judge has ordered a 60-day dangerous offender assessment at Alberta Hospital for Gary Edwin Mattson, who viciously attacked a city bus driver back in December.

EDMONTON — A judge has ordered a 60-day dangerous offender assessment at Alberta Hospital for Gary Edwin Mattson, who viciously attacked a city bus driver back in December.

Mattson pleaded guilty last month to the charge of aggravated assault and assaulting a peace officer.

His trial was told Mattson was drunk when he attacked driver Tom Bregg, who ended up spending eight weeks in hospital, lost the vision in one eye and is still having reconstructive surgery.

What sparked the attack was an argument over Mattson’s refusal to pay the $2.50 fare.

The Crown said a surveillance video from Bregg’s bus shows Mattson stomping on the victim’s face 14 times after the man was already unconscious.

Despite six previous assault convictions, the defence has argued Mattson doesn’t have the type of history that warrants dangerous offender status.

Meanwhile, the Amalgamated Transit Union is calling for transit officials to beef up security.

“Every couple of days I get a report from safety and security, another one of our operators has been assaulted. I’m tired of this,” said union president Stu Litwinowich.