‘Pimlico Pusher’, 40, is spared jail for shoving female pensioner towards moving bus

A mother known as the ‘Pimlico Pusher’ who shoved a pensioner towards a moving bus after a row in a supermarket has avoided jail.

Amelia Doris, 40, was caught on CCTV attacking Linda Lancaster on Vauxhall Bridge Road, central London on May 29, 2018. 

Ms Lancaster had tried to avoid Doris by walking around the block after the argument broke out in a Tesco Express.

The court heard that Doris told Ms Lancaster, in her 60s, ‘you’ve met the wrong woman, you white bitch’. 

The two women’s paths crossed again after leaving the supermarket and Doris shoulder barged the pensioner head-first towards the moving bus, Prospero House – one of London’s new Nightingale Courts – was told.

CCTV footage showed Doris, accompanied by her young son, brutally attacking the older woman before fleeing the scene.

Ms Lancaster fell forward into the passenger doors of the bus and suffered a cut to the head, as well as grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees. She also sustained muscle injury to her shoulders.

Doris admitted assault occasioning actual body harm and racially aggravated assault by beating.

She was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for a year, with six months mental health treatment and a 26-day rehabilitation requirement.

She attacked her on Vauxhall Bridge Road, central London, on 29 May 2018

Amelia Doris, 40, was caught on CCTV attacking Linda Lancaster on Vauxhall Bridge Road, central London, on May 29, 2019. She shoved the woman into the path of a moving bus

Prosecutor John Livingston said the argument broke out at the checkout because Doris believed Ms Lancaster’s basket had bumped against her son’s head.

‘Ms Doris started shouting, she raised her voice.

‘She started shouting at Ms Lancaster and at one point said ‘you’ve met the wrong woman, you white b***h’, said Mr Livingston.

Doris then proceeded to shove Ms Lancaster, causing her to stumble into the ground.

After leaving the Tesco, Doris continued to act ‘very aggressive’ and shout into the shop, saying ‘watch what happens when you come out’, the court was told.

Worried that Doris would see where her car was parked, Ms Lancaster walked around the block hoping to avoid her.

‘She walked around the block eventually coming back in front of Tesco’s again.

‘Ms Doris was still there,’ said Mr Livingston.

‘She pushed her into the side of an oncoming bus, so that she hit her head against the front doors of that bus.’

Ms Lancaster, who was ‘fortunately’ spared even worse injuries, was left with a cut to the head, cuts to her knee from embedded gravel and bruises to her hands and shoulders.

Mr Livingston said that the incident had a ‘considerable impact’ on Ms Lancaster in terms of her mental health.

‘She says ‘This has caused me to suffer from post traumatic stress, for which I am receiving ongoing counselling for’ because she had just come out of the hospital having had major surgery.

‘She says she is not a confrontational person. She too points out is lucky not be worse injured in the physical sense.

‘She says she found the incident extremely scary,’ said the prosecutor.

Ms Lancaster, who is in her 60s, had tried to avoid Doris by walking around the block after the argument in Tesco Express

Ms Lancaster, who is in her 60s, had tried to avoid Doris by walking around the block after the argument in Tesco Express

But their paths crossed again and Doris shoulder barged her head-first towards the moving bus

But their paths crossed again and Doris shoulder barged her head-first towards the moving bus 

Since the attack, Ms Lancaster had changed her behaviour completely and moved out of London out of fear of encountering Doris again, the court heard.

Her ability to do her work in the travel industry had been impacted by the incident, as had her social life.

‘I am reluctant and avoid going out to do basic things such as go to my local store,’ wrote Ms Lancaster.

Judge Sally Cahill, QC, told Doris: ‘Your victim was somebody completely unknown to you.

‘She was shopping, minding her own business in the shop, when as the result of some slight that you appeared to have taken you started by assaulting her and calling her by an abusive name.

‘You later stood outside the shop and some time later pushed her into what turned out to be a bus coming along the road.

‘Medical evidence has been submitted in respect of your optical and auditory facilities, and there is little doubt that as a result of those it may be possible that you hadn’t appreciated the full extent of what was going to happen.’

The judge added that the victim, while fortunate to have escaped even worse injuries, has had to make ‘substantial’ changes to her life as a result of the attack.

‘You are somebody of previous good character which makes this incident completely out of character and really quite inexplicable.

CCTV footage showed Doris, accompanied by a small child, brutally attacking the older woman before fleeing the scene

CCTV footage showed Doris, accompanied by a small child, brutally attacking the older woman before fleeing the scene 

Ms Lancaster fell forward into the passenger doors of the bus and suffered a cut to the head, as well as grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees. She also sustained muscle injury to her shoulders

Ms Lancaster fell forward into the passenger doors of the bus and suffered a cut to the head, as well as grazes and bruising to her ankles, shins and knees. She also sustained muscle injury to her shoulders

‘It an incident which I view with great concern because the only way it can be explained is that it is either as a result of your lost temper or as a result of your mental health,’ she added.

Doris attended the hearing via video link from her apartment.

Darryl Cherrett, defending, said: ‘My client has had for some time had significant mental disorder and learning disability and a certain difficulty in assessing situations involving her children.’

He said Doris had a history involving ‘significant domestic violence’ including one of her children and she interpreted the incident as Ms Lancaster knocking her child on her head

‘Given Ms Doris lack of any previous convictions whatsoever, something must have happened to spark this incident,’ said Mr Cherrett. 

Doris became known as the ‘Pimlico pusher’ when police appealed for information following the assault.

Detective Constable Samantha Edwards, who lead the investigation, said at the time: ‘This was an unprovoked assault which could have had much more serious consequences.

‘It goes without saying that he victim has been deeply affected emotionally by this whole incident.’