An Easyjet passenger who described himself as 'nine out of 10 drunk' when he grabbed a stewardess round the neck was among the criminals convicted in Greater Manchester's courts in recent days.
Offences like this happen all too frequently - causing distress to passengers and staff and disruption to airlines.
Here, the Manchester Evening News looks back at some of the other holidaymakers who ended up in court in recent months after having a bit too much to drink.
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Man attacked stewardess after she saw him out of his seat during landing
A man grabbed a stewardess by the neck after she warned him to be careful upon seeing him out of his seat during the landing of a flight. Colin Smith, 51, was travelling to Malta with his partner for a prearranged 50th birthday celebration when the cabin crew member spotted him standing up after the seatbelt signs were switched on.
She thought he was going to use the toilet and warned him to be careful because the plane was landing, but was met by a ‘vacant’ stare from Smith.
He then grabbed her by the neck with both hands, Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Whilst he continued lashing out at her, the stewardess asked his partner if he had any health concerns, to which she replied: "I told him not to drink that whisky."
A week later he was arrested and interviewed and admitted to officers that he had drunk three quarters of a bottle of Famous Grouse whisky, and described himself as being ‘nine out of 10 drunk’.
Smith, of Hull, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to being drunk on an aircraft and assault in connection with the March 28 incident. He will be sentenced next year.
Mum who had 'two pints' marched off Ryanair flight in Manchester by police after she became 'verbally aggressive'
A mum had to be escorted off a Ryanair flight by police after passengers complained she was being too loud and 'verbally aggressive'. Lyndsey Fitzsimmons became 'irate' after being approached about her behaviour on the flight from Lanzarote to Manchester Airport, Minshull Street Crown Court heard on July 26.
Police were called out by Ryanair staff less than 20 minutes before the flight was due to land, before six officers stormed the plane to arrest Fitzsimmons. The 39-year-old, who had been on a week away in the Canary Islands, claimed she had consumed two pints of lager and taken two 10mg tablets of diazepam for her anxiety before the flight - but did not drink any alcohol on the plane.
The court heard that police received a report of a 'drunken and disruptive' passenger on board the flight at 9.53pm on February 1, before it was due to land in Manchester at 10.10pm. Prosecuting, Brian Berlyne said that passengers in front of Fitzsimmons had complained about her 'loud volume'.
Fitzsimmons became 'verbally aggressive' and a couple sat close to her believed she was behaving 'in an intimidating manner', the court heard. Crew members intervened and Fitzsimmons was asked to sit at the back of the plane before it landed, ready for police to arrest her.
Fitzsimmons, from Cheshire, initially pleaded not guilty to being drunk on an aircraft at her first appearing at Manchester Magistrates Court on March 2 but later changed her plea to guilty. Judge Recorder Paul Reid QC issued her a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
Drunk passenger kicked off Ryanair flight was ‘too excited’ for first holiday in 11 years
A drunk man kicked off a plane said it was because he was 'too excited' to go on holiday after 11 years. Ashley Crutchley, 27, was waiting to fly to Portugal with a friend when he became argumentative with the crew on July 10 this year.
Officers asked him to leave but he became abusive before standing up and demanded that they carry his belongings. As he went to leave, a crew member handed the officers a bottle of duty free vodka with a third of its contents missing, having been confiscated from Crutchley, Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard.
Whilst the officer walked in front of Crutchley as they disembarked the Ryanair flight, Crutchley ‘shunted’ him forward and said: “Come on then, mate, come on.” He was then escorted off the plane.
Officers went back onto the flight to ask his friend, who had not been disruptive, to leave, and were met with rapturous applause from other holidaymakers. Pleading guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting an emergency worker, Crutchley was fined £320.
‘I’m going to get on this f***ing airplane’ - drunken louts kicked off with Easyjet crew who stopped them boarding
Two louts abused airline staff who refused to let them on to a plane because they were too drunk.
Glynn Martin and Jason McKiver, had both been drinking spirits in the lounge at Manchester Airport prior to a flight to Tenerife, on October 15 last year. As they made their way to board an EasyJet plane, airline staff watched them "stumble down the air bridge" and noted that they could "barely stand up", Bolton Magistrate's Court heard.
Prosecuting, Jane Deakin told the court that they were met at the door of the plane by captain David Etchells and cabin crew member Jemma Grieves. After being told that they weren't fit to fly, they insisted that they would just go to sleep in their seat.
When it became apparent that airline staff would not be letting them on, the "situation escalated", Ms Deakin said. Martin got in Ms Grieves' face and shouted: “I know who you are and will remember what you look like.”
Both men pleaded guilty to entering an aircraft when drunk and using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour with the intent to cause fear of unlawful violence before their cases were adjourned for sentence in August.
McKiver, of Ashworth Road, Lytham St Annes, also admitted to assault by beating for the push on Mr Etchells.
Jet2 passenger who got so drunk he vomited on himself and the seats around him is JAILED
A passenger on a Jet2 flight who was so drunk that he vomited on himself and the seats around him has been jailed.
Ali Ozdemir was removed from the plane travelling from Turkey to Birmingham after crew spotted him slumped in his seat. He was so intoxicated that was unable to take his passport out of his bag when asked to.
The 49-year-old, who is the former manager of an Italian restaurant in Birmingham, admitted being drunk on an aircraft. At Birmingham Crown Court, in March, he was jailed for three months.
Vodka-fuelled veterinary nurse caused mayhem "screaming and swearing at everyone" on flight to Turkey
A veterinary nurse dubbed 'every passenger's worst nightmare' after she downed a bottle of vodka and caused chaos on a flight from Manchester Airport has been allowed to keep her job following a disciplinary hearing. Katherine Heyes from Wigan, was 'screaming and swearing at everyone' - including her own three-year-old child - during the Thomas Cook flight to Turkey.
In July 2020 the then 29-year-old was ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work after admitting entering an aircraft when drunk. In October this year the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons disciplinary committee ruled that despite Ms Heyes' 'disgraceful conduct' she shouldn't be struck off or suspended.
The committee heard Ms Heyes was described by a fellow passenger as 'bordering on manic' and had to be restrained by her friends. Ms Heyes had also been travelling with a three-year-old child who she shouted and swore at 'aggressively,' causing the child to become upset and cry.
The captain considered diverting the flight because of the safety risk Ms Heyes posed. At the time, Judge John Edwards, sentencing Ms Heyes at Minshull Street Crown Court, described her as 'every passenger’s worst nightmare.'
The hearing was told she had only 'one pint of lager' before boarding the flight for the all-girls trip. Ms Heyes said that while on the flight to Antalya she drank some vodka that had been poured into a cup for her by a friend.
The professional disciplinary panel in her case concluded: "Whilst the charge was not so serious as to require suspension or removal from the register, the Committee decided it is necessary to issue a formal warning to Ms Heyes as to her future conduct."
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