A passenger on a British Airways flight from LA to London Heathrow had to be handcuffed to his seat after ranting at cabin staff and abusing the people sitting near him.
Simon Jones, 51, was described as ‘agitated’ during the 10-hour trip, with his bad behaviour beginning as early as the pre-flight checks when he started ‘clapping’ and ‘talking very loudly’.
Ashleigh Ettienne, prosecuting, told Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court: ‘He was approached and spoken to about his behaviour by cabin crew, however he started to shout saying “can I have a f****** glass’, ‘give me a glass for my f****** drink”.’
Later in the flight he began getting up every few minutes to go to the toilet, then was ‘shouting and swearing at the passenger sat next to him’, she added.
The passenger asked him ‘not to swear and to be mindful of other passengers, however he did not listen’.
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At one point Jones got up and his pillow touched the passenger’s foot next to him, and he shouted to him ‘if you do that again I will put that into your f****** face’, Ms Ettienne added.
‘The captain ordered that Mr Jones is not to be given any more alcohol,’ the prosecutor said.
‘Mr Jones has become irate, gritting his teeth… pacing up and down the cabin.’
Jones then sat on the part of the door that was connected to the emergency slide and was told not to. He began to argue with a member of crew.
Jones then started shouting at passengers, then the captain gave permission for Jones to be restrained, the court heard.
Ms Ettienne said: ‘He was then restrained onto his seat using handcuffs.’
He shouted ‘oi blonde boy loosen them cuffs or I’ll wrap them around your neck’, the court heard.
Jones had to be checked on every 15 minutes until the flight landed which ‘significantly impacted’ the crew’s duties, including serving other passengers, the prosecution said.
Gurbinder Tamana, defending, said Jones ‘does suffer from bipolar’ and added that he has not committed any further offences.
He told her he had one alcoholic drink, she said.
‘During that time in his life he was having a difficult time… he states he wasn’t taking his medication as he should have,’ Ms Tamana said.
‘He has new medication that has been prescribed now. He’s working now as well and that’s in a bar.’
She added: ‘This is really completely out of character for him.’
Jones previously admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words towards a member of the crew of the aircraft, behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner towards a member of the crew of the aircraft, intentionally interfering with the performance by a member of the crew of the aircraft of the crew member’s duties and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Judge Kathryn Verghis sentenced Jones to a community order for 12 months, ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, banned him from international travel for six months, and ordered him to pay £400 in costs, a surcharge of £114 and £150 to the other passenger.
She said: ‘The incident in itself was sustained from the very start of the flight… your behaviour towards a fellow passenger was completely unacceptable.’
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