A contrite mother of three who admitted to assaults and threats on public transport is hoping to be sentenced by the Island’s new mental health courts.

However, Magistrate Archibald Warner cautioned that pleading a simple case of psychological distress would not result in an easy ride.

Cinamin Lovell, 23, of Sandys, entered a guilty plea for threatening bus driver Fabian Harris in the Hamilton bus terminal on November 16, 2012. She also admitted assaulting bus operator Juliette Pearman Tucker in Southampton on February 10, 2014, along with assaulting bus passenger Satina Harvey on September 4 in Sandys, and causing her bodily harm.

Defence lawyer Auralee Cassady argued that Lovell had a history of harassment by bus drivers, dating back to her teens, which she had reported without ever getting a response.

A sceptical Mr Warner suggested Lovell might have a propensity for violence, but Ms Cassady said the final assault had stemmed from a conversation that got out of hand.

Lovell wanted to apologise for her behaviour but struggled with psychological issues, Ms Cassady said, adding that her client cared for a three-year-old child, while her other two children were in the care of a parent and a grandparent.

Replying that he needed to hear mitigating factors linking the assaults to Lovell’s mental health, Mr Warner added: “Anyone with some sort of problem can’t just come here and say, to put it crudely, ‘I am mad and want to go to mental health court’.”

Adjourning her sentencing until next month, Mr Warner ordered social, psychological and psychiatric reports.

Prosecutor Victoria Greening suggested that Lovell also be restricted from using public transport, but the magistrate said that was outside his remit.

“There’s a lot of things I would like to do to protect people that I don’t have the power to do,” Mr Warner added.