Shazma Ansar, 29, demanded to be driven to London before crashing into parked cars during a seven-mile bus rampage

A woman suffering from paranoid schizophrenia stole a bus from Birmingham Airport and drove it on a destructive seven-mile journey that ended in chaos on a residential street packed with parked cars.

Shazma Ansar, 29, from Shard End, sparked panic in the early hours of September 24 last year when she boarded a National Express bus on Timberley Lane and later brandished a knife at the driver, demanding to be taken to London.

Driver Mark Lewis initially picked up Ansar after she asked to go to Small Heath, but when he said his route was bound for the airport, she agreed to stay on board. Upon arrival, Lewis asked Ansar to leave the bus after she lay down across the back seats while he changed the sign to “Out of Service.”

It was then Ansar approached him with a kitchen knife, threatening: “If you don’t take me to London, I will kill you,” laced with expletives.

Fearing for his life, Mr Lewis calmly told her he needed to use the toilet and left the bus—only to alert police stationed at the airport. When officers returned moments later, the bus had vanished.

What followed was a dangerous joyride through Birmingham. Ansar was next spotted driving the vehicle erratically on Coventry Road before turning into St Benedicts Road in Small Heath, a tight street lined with parked cars.

Prosecutor Sally Cairns told Birmingham Crown Court: “As it drove down, the bus clipped wing mirrors. The defendant tried turning around and struck a parked car, which was then shunted into another. She continued dragging the vehicles along, causing extensive damage.”

Her attempt to reverse the large vehicle between double-parked cars left the bus wedged and immobile. When police arrived, Ansar was found behind the wheel, furiously beeping the horn and bizarrely demanding “a Lamborghini.”

She was arrested at the scene, but her erratic behaviour continued in custody. Later that morning, she spat in a detention officer’s face after asking to be released. She also spat at two police constables after being taken to Sandwell Hospital, claiming chest pains.

Ansar faced charges of threatening with a knife, aggravated vehicle taking, three counts of assaulting an emergency worker, and driving without a licence or insurance. She pleaded guilty to all counts.

The court heard that Ansar had not been taking her medication at the time and suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Her mental health condition significantly contributed to the offence, and she was deemed unfit for standard imprisonment.

On Wednesday, May 28, Judge Richard Bond sentenced her to a hospital order with restrictions under the Mental Health Act. The ruling ensures Ansar will remain in a secure psychiatric facility until professionals deem her no longer a risk to herself or the public.

The judge noted the grave danger her actions posed: “This was a frightening incident, both for the driver and the wider public. Your actions created a serious risk of harm, but I accept your mental illness played a dominant role.”

While no one was physically injured, the damage to vehicles and emotional distress caused were significant. Residents of St Benedicts Road described waking to “total bedlam” and damaged cars lining the street.

Police praised the quick thinking of Mr Lewis, whose calm actions likely prevented further harm. Investigations confirmed that Ansar acted alone, and the knife was later recovered.

The incident has sparked renewed calls for mental health support and increased safety protocols for public transport workers, particularly during unsociable hours.