A Scot was one of four British contractors fined a total of £3,500 for being be kicked off a flight to Switzerland after getting too drunk in the airport lounge.
Contractors Adam Dove, 35, from Clackmannanshire, Jo Bendell, 31, Christopher Eglon, 48 and Michael Marshall, 45, from Whitby, all admitted being drunk on the Swiss Air flight to Zurich from Heathrow Airport last month.
Eglon told magistrates he had not “seen the lads” due to the pandemic and they had all “met up in good spirits” at Heathrow.
Bendell lost half his boarding pass and told cabin crew “I don’t f*****g care” before the drunk group had to be removed from the emergency exit seats for safety, Ealing Magistrates Court heard.
Marshall took a picture of one of the group and sent it to his wife saying “this tit is going to get us kicked off the flight”
But the captain decided not to take off with them onboard, called the police, and then diverted back to the gate to boot the drilling contractors off, the court heard.
The court heard that the group, who all worked for Marriott Drilling, told police they "could not recollect the incident".
Prosecutor Izolda Gribbin said the four men had been drinking in the lounge before their flight on May 11.
Ms Gribbin said: "Members of staff noticed their behaviour was quite loud and disruptive. They were sitting in rows 11 and 12, and the cabin crew were concerned as those are emergency seats and passengers sitting there in case of emergencies are asked to assist.
"David Cusack, defending Marshall and Dove, said: "The defendants are both family men with family responsibilities.
"They work on drilling projects so they are going out to work in Switzerland, they have done this time and time before, they have taken hundreds of flights and there's never been any problem.
"That day, they did have too much to drink while waiting in the lounge.
"The captain is consulted and he says 'we are not having this' and goes back to the stand. There's no evasion of police, no difficulty whatsoever.
"They spent 18 hours in custody. There's never been any suggestion my clients were being abusive or swearing at anybody. He told the court the defendants spent so long in custody due to being "intoxicated".
Ms Gribbins said: "They told police they could not recollect the incident."
Mr Cusack said Marshall and Dove were initially suspended but reinstated when their employer Marriott Drilling looked over the case file.
Bendell and Eglon were sacked, the court heard, and while Bendell has recently found new work, Eglon is currently on benefits.
Dove was fined £1,185, Marshall was fined £1,100, Bendell was fined £891 and Bendell was fined £319. Chair of the bench
Nilla Varsani said: "You have been lucky in the fact we have dealt with this today. The reason we dealt with this today is largely the backlog in the crown court and, given what we have heard, it's unlikely you would have ended up in custody.
"It doesn't warrant the time it would take to send it to the crown court and for them to deal with this."
