Man who repeatedly spat in his ex-girlfriend's face on a Belfast bus avoids going to prison

Filitto Gambaro, 44, also grabbed hold of the woman’s hair and followed her when she tried to get away from him on board the service in Belfast.

Imposing one month in custody, suspended for six months, a judge told the Italian national he had subjected the victim to a frightening and degrading attack.

Gambaro, of Hesketh Park in the city, was convicted of common assault.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he became violent while the couple were on a bus travelling along the Crumlin Road on October 24 last year.

“She reported that he accused her of being disrespectful to his friends when they were out for a meal,” a Crown lawyer said.

“He then pulled her hair and spat in her face.”

The woman cleaned it away, only to be spat on again.

“She got up to go to another seat on the bus, moving twice, but he followed her each time,” the prosecutor added.

Gambaro’s lawyer said it was unacceptable behaviour but stressed he had never been in trouble before.

“This represented the culmination of a variety of frustrations and (the couple) should have parted ways sooner,” the solicitor submitted.

The court heard Gambaro obtained a degree in economics before leaving his native Italy to go travelling.

Passing sentence, District Judge Anne Marshall observed: “This is a bad incident for somebody with a very interesting and colourful background.”

She told Gambaro: “It’s degrading to spit on a female, pull her hair and follow her around the bus.

“That must have been very frightening for her.”