Airline passenger handcuffed to seat after drunken rant fuelled by six double vodkas in airport bar
A drunk holidaymaker who shouted vile abuse at cabin crew on an eight-hour flight from Mexico back to Manchester Airport has been jailed.
A drunk holidaymaker who shouted vile abuse at cabin crew on an eight-hour flight from Mexico back to Manchester Airport has been jailed.
Two off-duty police officers on the TUI flight from Cancun were forced to step in to try to calm self-employed scaffolder Alexander Rogers, 40, who was subsequently handcuffed to a chair, a court was told. Rogers - who later told police he had six double vodkas before boarding - called one member of cabin crew an 'Arab b****'.
The court heard that after being handcuffed, he shouted: "You can't f******' cuff me. Black Lives Matter. I am not a terrorist. I am not a danger to the plane. I am not a terrorist," reports the Manchester Evening News.
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Rogers, from Rochdale, UK, pushed the shoulder of another member of cabin crew and said to her: "Just f*** off. Get f*****".
A judge, who heard children and families were forced to move seats, called his behaviour 'quite appalling' and said everyone on board was a victim as they couldn't go anywhere at 36,000ft. The captain was even on the verge of diverting the plane, Manchester Crown Court was told on Thursday (November 7).
Keira Shaw, prosecuting, said Rogers, of Elizabeth Street in Castleton, was flying home in premium seats with his partner. Around two hours into the flight, Ms Shaw said cabin crew became aware of an altercation between him and a passenger in front. Rogers was said to have kicked the back of the passenger's chair and put his feet through a gap between the chairs in front of him. He was also overheard to threaten to 'knock him out'.
The court heard Rogers was moved to the back of the plane, but screamed and shouted as he was taken. Other passengers had to be moved so he could be seated in front of the galley on the last row.
Ms Shaw said his behaviour was described as 'irate' and the captain considered diverting, but opted against that because of weather conditions as well as the cost and inconvenience to other passengers. During the course of the flight, the prosecutor said Rogers caused 'disruption' and called members of the cabin crew 's****' as he shouted and swore, demanding more food and water.
The off-duty officers then 'offered their assistance' before Rogers again stood up and pushed the member of cabin crew after trying to block her path, the court heard. Ms Shaw said his girlfriend made trips down the plane to check on him, but he was handcuffed after throwing one of his shoes into rows of passengers in front.
The court heard he was arrested after the plane landed at Manchester, going on to tell officers he was a nervous flier and that he couldn't remember large parts of the incident. "He accepted that he was intoxicated and had he not had so much alcohol, he would not have acted in that manner," Ms Shaw said. In a statement provided to the court, the flight's captain called Rogers' behaviour 'physically abusive, obscene and lewd'.
Hugh Barton, defending Rogers, said it was an 'extremely serious and very unpleasant incident'. He said: "He is genuinely remorseful and ashamed about what he did. He does not take issue with the account that has been given. He accepts fully his responsibility. This was completely and utterly out of character and he is deeply ashamed of how he acted."
Mr Barton said Rogers had himself sought professional help, saying he had flown without issue on many occasions previously. Judge Paul Lawton said Rogers boarded the flight drunk and continued drinking. Sentencing him, he said he behaved in a 'quite appalling manner'.
Judge Lawton said children were moved because of him and said: "The victims are everyone on that flight. No one has anywhere to go at 36,000ft. It is not a pub, where people can walk out. There are people who say they will not fly again when they see people like this."
Rogers pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court to being drunk on board an aircraft; a racially or religiously-aggravated harassment charge and assault by beating. He was jailed for six months.
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