HOWARD Geddes Skelding, 29, has been sentenced following the 2021 assault of a SkyTrain Attendant.
On July 5, 2021, Skelding assaulted a SkyTrain attendant at Braid Station as she was leaving a room in the station, shoving her back inside and violently attacking her. She was able to fight him off while calling for help and eventually escaped the room.
Skelding was arrested at the scene by Transit Police and remained in custody until his May 2, 2024 court date where he was found guilty of one count of assault causing bodily harm and one count of forcible confinement, and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
“We commend the SkyTrain attendant for her strength and tenacity in fighting off her attacker in the midst of a horrific situation, and for the bravery she showed by facing him in court. We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to Crown Counsel for their hard work on this file, which led to securing a meaningful sentence,” said Constable Amanda Steed.
She said that keeping frontline transit employees safe is a Transit Police operational priority and any and all threats to the safety of staff will be taken seriously and investigated fully.
Transit Police ask the public to call us them at 604-515-8300 or text 87.77.77 if they are concerned about the safety of anyone on transit, including staff members. In case of emergency, always call 911.