A boozed-up passenger was arrested at Manchester Airport after urinating in the aisle during a long-haul flight from Dubai. Lloyd Johnson, 39, and his wife made the journey with Emirates after a holiday in the UAE.
Police were called to the airport after reports of a traveller causing commotion on the flight. A court heard he was unsteady on his feet and smelt strongly of alcohol, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Cabin crew raised the alarm during the journey on January 26 this year, with officers attending the airport at around 6.30pm. Passengers had told how Johnson urinated in the aisle after struggling to reach the toilet due to his level of intoxication.
Prosecutor Tobias Collins told Minshull Street Crown Court: "The defendant, due to his intoxication, his behaviour was a problem whilst on the flight. The cabin crew reported that he urinated next to his seat and had to move him to another seat and away from passengers.
"Further enquiries from passengers established that he did not urinate on any person, rather he was trying to go to the toilet and urinated in the aisle due to how intoxicated he was.”
Johnson did not seem to "fully comprehend" why the police were there and was arrested for being drunk on an aircraft. There was no evidence that he issued threats or was violent during the flight, the court heard.
Adam Lodge, mitigating, also said there was no evidence that his client was disruptive during the flight. He said: "There is no suggestion this was anything other than embarrassing. From his recollection, with assistance from his wife, as the aircraft was coming into land, he woke up and needed to use the toilet.
“He went to use the toilet but was told to go back to his seat, he did and went to sleep, and as he woke up he realised he had an accident. It was very unfortunate - and mortifying for him.”
Mr Lodge added that a cabin crew member had seen him and he moved from his seat. He added that Johnson and his wife had been on a holiday to Dubai following two family bereavements.
Handing down a community order, Recorder Michael Hayton KC said: “An aggravating feature of this case is that you must have been extremely intoxicated. It would appear you stood up when the seatbelt signs were on, before sitting down and had an ‘accident’, because of the loss of control of your bladder as you were so desperate to use the toilet.
“There is no suggestion by any passenger or cabin crew that they were receiving any threat or inappropriate behaviour. I am sure this has been an embarrassing and shameful episode in what otherwise has been a blameless life. I doubt the courts will see you again.”
Johnson plead guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 80 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £510 in court costs.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
