A man has been hauled before the courts after having an ‘accident’ in his seat whilst drunk after he wasn’t allowed to use the toilet as a plane landed. Lloyd Johnson, 39, and his wife had been returning from a holiday in Dubai when police were called to reports of a ‘disruptive’ passenger.
Officers attended the Emirates plane at Manchester Airport, and discovered that Johnson had urinated in the aisle. He was also unsteady on his feet and smelt strongly of booze, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Tobias Collins said that the alarm was raised by cabin crew, who asked officers to attend Terminal One on January 26 this year, at around 6.30pm.
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“The defendant, due to his intoxication, his behaviour was a problem whilst on the flight,” he said.
“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 duly arrested for being drunk on an aircraft. There was no evidence he issued threats or was violence during the journey, Mr Collins added.
Adam Lodge, mitigating, also said there was no evidence that his client was disruptive during the flight.
“There is no suggestion this was anything other than embarrassing,” he said.
“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 said he was seen by the cabin crew and 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, of Pinfold Farm Cottage, Bagshaw, Chapel-en-le-Frith, who pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, was sentenced to a 12 month community order, 80 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £510 court costs.
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