Baby’s lucky escape as window falls on buggy

A GANG of vandals suspected of kicking out the window of a bus on top of a five-week-old baby may not be identified because of the poor quality of the images from the vehicle’s closed circuit camera.

Gardaí hunting the group of youths, who are believed to have spent some minutes ferociously kicking at the reinforced window before it gave away and fell on top of little Clayton Costello-Browne, may have to rely on descriptions given by the bus driver.

The baby’s father, Aaron Browne, was knocked unconscious when the heavy pane of glass crashed over his head and back.

He suffered concussion and neck injuries. Only the hood of the buggy saved his son from serious injuries as shards of glass fell from the breaking window.

There was recording equipment on the bus when the incident took place in Dublin on Saturday evening, but officials at Dublin Bus privately admit the quality of the images can vary from machine to machines. Without video evidence, it will be difficult to identify the youths involved and prove who kicked the window out.

The bus was being driven through Lucan in west Dublin on the city centre to Liffey Valley route when the window finally gave way.

Dublin Bus said the windows on the bus are of substantial weight and it would take some effort to kick them out. It is believed two or three youths spent a number of minutes kicking at the reinforced glass. But the driver knew nothing about the incident until, at the end of the journey, one of a group of youths stepping off the bus made a smart remark to the effect that the bus was missing a window.

Mr Browne, of Earlsfort Estate in Lucan, said: “I can barely remember what happened.

“But I was about to go in to the park and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed in Tallaght Hospital.” The injured man said he was told by witnesses that only the hood of the buggy saved Clayton from serious injury.

Dublin Bus spokeswoman Gráinne Mackin agreed the baby could have been killed by the falling window.

She said all buses have camera equipment, but they are only operational in about 80% of buses at any one time.

Ms Mackin said extra inspectors will be placed on the route, while gardaí have promised to step up patrols.