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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jonathan Humphries & Dan Haygarth

Drunken airline passengers who caused chaos in the air

For many Brits, alcohol and airports go hand-in-hand.

Whether it's killing time after check in with a pint or taking advantage of the prices at duty-free, buying alcohol at the airport is part of the holiday experience for many.

However, there is no place for unruly drunkenness, especially when you're 30,000 feet in the air.

READ MORE: Taxi driver organised cocaine and heroin trafficking to Netherlands during lockdown

There are a number of laws in place to deter airline passengers from going too far.

However, this has not stopped certain people from causing chaos on flights.

Yesterday (February 1) an Anfield man was fined almost £500 after he pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft.

He had thrown a bottle, refused to wear his face covering and claimed he was six out of seven on a scale of drunkenness.

With that in mind, we take a look at some of the times people have found themselves in court after drunken behaviour on a flight to Liverpool.

Drunk passenger threw a bottle and refused to wear a mask while onboard

Jay Hammill, 33, of Tideswell Road, Sheffield, was found guilty of being drunk in an aircraft and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour (Liverpool Echo)

Dominykas Donela was on an EasyJet flight back from Rhodes, Greece with his family when he was considered so drunk he was refused alcohol.

Nastassia McAdam, prosecuting, told Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday (February 1), how the 24-year-old refused to wear a mask, became abusive and threw a bottle towards a crew member.

The captain of the flight called ahead to the manager at Speke about "an abusive passenger on board" and when the plane landed at 10.10pm police were waiting for him.

Police noticed Donela's eyes were glazed, his speech slurred and he smelt of alcohol.

Ms McAdam said: “He was arrested and when interviewed he accepted he had drunk four beers and a Tequila shot. He said he was six out of seven on a scale of drunkenness.

“He said he threw a bottle towards a bin and it knocked against a steward.”

Donela, of Vanbrugh Crescent, Anfield, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft. He was fined £480 and ordered to pay a total of £133 of costs at the rate of £20 a month.

Read the full story here.

Drunken lout claimed to be gangster

Donika Browne, 20, from Cairns Street in Toxteth, who pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and threatening crew (Liverpool Echo)

Jay Hammill said he would put John Wilkinson in hospital during a journey from Barcelona to Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The 33-year-old goaded his victim, who was sitting with his girlfriend Martha Ballart, calling him a "d***head" and a "p***y".

Hammill offered to fight Mr Wilkinson in a car park of his choosing, but warned him thugs would arrive with guns and knives.

And when Mr Wilkinson's frightened partner burst into tears, callous Hammill taunted: "Look, I've made your b***h cry."

Andrew Downey, prosecuting, said Mr Wilkinson suspected Hammill, of Tideswell Road, Sheffield, was drunk.

He said: "Mr Wilkinson says he called him a 'd***head', and 'a***hole' and went on to say 'I'm travelling with my cousin and I will kick your teeth in'."

When the flight took off, Mr Hammill allegedly paid another passenger to swap seats, so he could sit in the emergency exit row.

Mr Downey said: "On the final descent, cabin crew asked Mr Hammill to return to his seat, where Mr Wilkinson noticed he had dried blood on his hands.

"Mr Hammill then asked him if he was 'still up for the car park' and said 'I will put you in hospital and I will even drive you there'.

"The captain contacted the police when the plane landed. When police tried to arrest Mr Hammill he pretended to have a seizure on the floor and told them he was disabled."

Mr Wilkinson told the court Hammill, who was wearing a baseball cap and "looked dirty in appearance", was slurring his words.

He said: "Prior to landing he was asked to go back to his seat. He had a can of Heineken and blood on his hands and then said that was going to be my blood."

The victim, who felt "nervous" and "anxious", said Hammill boasted he "would get his lads to meet me in the car park and they would have guns and knives".

Hammill was found guilty of being drunk in an aircraft and using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and jailed for six months.

Read the full story here.

Passenger downed bottle of vodka and launched Fanta over her boyfriend

Donika Browne, 20, from Cairns Street in Toxteth, who pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and threatening crew (Liverpool Echo)

Drunken EasyJet passenger Donika Browne launched a bottle of Fanta over her boyfriend and told a steward "I will smash your face in."

The 20-year-old screamed abuse at her boyfriend and refused to move seats after downing almost a full litre bottle of vodka within 40 minutes of take-off.

Browne, of Cairns Street in Liverpool John Lennon Airport, pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk in an aircraft and one of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards an air crew at Liverpool Magistrates' Court.

The business student had boarded the flight from Barcelona to court with her boyfriend on March 4 and was overheard remarking that she had bought the vodka from duty-free.

Natalie Cassidy, prosecuting, told the court that the crew heard the couple talking loudly through the safety demonstrations but there were no major problems for around 40 minutes.

She said: "The crew became aware of the defendant and noticed her partner had a nose bleed. They then witnessed the defendant walking to and from the toilet while unsteady on her feet.

"She appeared to have a disagreement with her boyfriend and began shouting and swearing. The defendant was asked to move and she did."

However Browne returned to scream at her boyfriend and threatened to "smash the face in" of a crew member.

She then hurled Fanta at her boyfriend. Her solicitor, Rebecca Templeman, said her client was "ashamed" by her behaviour.

Browne was fined £50 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Read the full story here.

Passengers cheered as drunk grandma was arrested

Passengers on an EasyJet flight to Liverpool cheered as drunken and abusive Rosemary Ben-Allee was arrested on the runway.

The gran-of-four, 60, had drunk three small bottles of red wine when she called fellow passengers “c****” and refused to sit down on the flight from Alicante to John Lennon Airport in Speke.

Ben-Allee, of Dorset Road in Toxteth, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, an offence under the Air Navigation Order 2009, at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that the flight landed at Liverpool Airport at 2.30am on August 4, 2016, and had 142 passengers on-board.

David Maxwell, prosecuting, said: “Upon landing at Liverpool the captain requested police to attend immediately due to a drunken and disruptive female passenger.

"Officers arrived at the aircraft and were informed the defendant was being disruptive and had refused to remain seated.”

The court heard passengers cheered when they saw police officers on board.

As Ben-Allee was led from the aircraft she appeared “unsteady on her feet” and began swearing at the police officers.

She was arrested and later admitted the offences in interview. She was sentenced to a 28-day community order and handed an electronically monitored curfew of between 7pm and 7am.

Read the full story here.

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