A drunken lout who was aggressive to cabin crew and launched an expletive laden tirade on a Manchester bound flight has been jailed. Wesley Haining, from Salford, was one of almost 300 passengers on a TUI flight from Montego Bay in Jamaica.
Mr Haining began shouting and swearing at his partner before a female member of cabin crew intervened and warned him about his language, noting that children were present. But Haining, 45, ignored the warnings and at one stage threatened to punch her.
The captain was alerted but the aircraft could not be diverted as they were flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Now Haining has been jailed for 20 weeks after he was hauled before a court.
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Manchester Crown Court heard that the flight, on September 10 last year, contained 294 passengers including families and young children. As the female flight attendant began carrying out her duties, a woman walked over to her crying, prosecutor Peter Malone said.
She said Haining was 'p***** and horrendous' and that he was 'being nasty to her'. He called the woman a 'f****** d*******', a 'f****** idiot' and said she was 'f****** stupid'.
The flight attendant warned Haining about his language and he was told he would not be served any more alcohol. When he was handed a 'notice of violation' warning Haining replied by saying he 'didn't give a f***'.
Haining was still swigging from a bottle of Bacardi which he'd kept hidden despite his alcohol ban, and the captain was informed of his behaviour. "However at that stage the plane was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, and it was unable to be diverted to another airport," Mr Malone said.
"There was nothing that could be done." The flight attendant felt 'scared and helpless', and found his behaviour 'intimidating'. Haining was given another warning but his tirade continued.
He got out of his seat and said: "You don't f****** speak to me like that." He added: "You know what she needs, she needs to get f****** run over by a black f****** cab."
She then made contact with Haining, to move him out of the way so a child could pass by. He then said: "I'm going to f****** sue you, don't you touch me."
Haining then threatened to 'f****** punch her in the face', before clenching his fist and holding it up to her. She moved to another part of the aircraft for the rest of the flight to keep away from him.
When the plane arrived in Manchester police boarded and arrested him. Officers noticed that his eyes were 'glazed' and he was 'unsteady on his feet'.
He was taken to Cheadle Heath police station, admitted his wrongdoing and apologised. At court he pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and using threatening words or behaviour to the flight attendant.
The woman, who had worked as cabin crew for 20 years, told how her ordeal left her feeling 'shocked and scared', and 'apprehensive' about working on the same route again. Haining has 22 previous convictions, and his offending put him in breach of a previous suspended sentence imposed in May last year for fraud.
Defending, Patrick Buckley said Haining accepted his behaviour must have been terrifying for his fellow passengers. "At 34,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean if someone is being drunk and expressing unpleasant behaviour, it must be a very frightening and scary place to be," he said.
Haining, of Lime Close, Salford, has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after he was the victim of a 'shooting' about two decades ago, the court heard. He has had a 'troubling relationship with alcohol' which has been the 'root of all his behavioural issues', Mr Buckley said.
The barrister appealed for the judge to avoid sending Haining to prison, to allow him to carry out rehabilitative work.
But the judge, Recorder Matthew Happold, locked him up. He told the defendant: "I don't see any alternative to passing a custodial sentence. The location of your behaviour made it particularly concerning.
"This was conduct when numerous other people were present, and when children in particular were present."
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