Woman found guilty of assaulting NewsWorks freelancer on bus in Germantown

A Philadelphia woman was found guilty Wednesday of assaulting a NewsWorks freelance photographer on a SEPTA Route 23 bus in late May.

Cassie Darby, 49, was convicted of simple assault and reckless endangerment for repeatedly punching Bastiaan Slabbers about the head and body shortly after she boarded the bus in the city’s Germantown neighborhood.

She will serve between six and 23 months in a Philadelphia prison for the roughly 15-second incident, which was captured by surveillance cameras.

Seemingly never-ending case concludes

Darby, whose mental competency was evaluated three times following her arrest in June, calmly accepted Judge Marsha Neifield’s decision.

“Thank you for whatever help you can give,” said Darby during the stipulated trial.

Defense attorney Emily Ngee, Darby’s lawyer, asked that Neifield drop the reckless endangerment charge, saying that Slabbers’ life was not in danger during the incident.

Prosecutors noted that Slabbers was “essentially trapped” during the attack in which Darby struck him at least 10 times, a total Neifield said more than satisfied requirements for a reckless endangerment charge.

“I hope that something like this can never happen again, but that can only happen if she [Darby] gets the right treatment,” said a relieved Slabbers following Wednesday’s proceedings. ” I’m really glad that she opened up and thanked the judge.”