A drunken passenger caused fear and distress in the skies by shouting and cursing during a flight from Spain to Newcastle.
A tipsy April Wilson was upset when she boarded the Jet2 flight in Alicante along with 187 other passengers and cabin crew. Several attempts were made to calm the 58-year-old, she continued to shout and curse, including two members of the cabin crew.
Wilson, of Front Street, Houghton-le-Spring, was given a suspended prison sentence during a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.
The court heard that when Wilson boarded the flight, which left Spain for Newcastle Airport at 11.25am on November 19 last year, cabin crew noticed she looked upset and asked if she was OK. At the hearing, it was said that her upset and anger was primarily directed towards her partner.
Mid-flight, a number of passengers complained about her behaviour, saying she was drunk and swearing constantly, and one staff member heard her keep saying “fuck”. She was asked to stop, but she didn’t. As the cabin crew member walked away, Wilson babbled, “Fuck her,” and when told again to stop swearing, replied, “What the hell are you going to do, you stupid little cow.”
A flight attendant then approached her to try to calm her down, and Wilson mentioned someone, who appeared to be her partner, who she said was taunting her. Wilson appeared upset and said, “You don’t fucking understand, I need a hug” and tried to grab the flight attendant to pet her.
The manager made her a hot drink, but Wilson continued swearing, and then, as the plane landed in Newcastle, she unbuckled her seat belt and tried to get out of her seat.
The court heard a number of passengers complained about her, and two who were sitting near her were moved to other seats at the start of the flight. After getting off the plane at Newcastle Airport, Wilson was arrested.
She said she drank vodka the night before and two small bottles of wine during the flight. Mark Atkins, prosecuting, said: “She said her partner made fun of her because of her looks and intelligence and she shouted and swore in return and she shouted and swore when the cabin crew told her to calm down. She seemed contrite.”
The first flight attendant Wilson swore at said in a victim impact statement that she was “shaken” by what happened. She added: “I was worried that her behavior would escalate and I felt scared of what was going to happen next. There were 188 passengers on the plane, of all ages, and they were exposed to her behavior. This kind of behavior on planes is becoming more and more common. “
The flight attendant added: “This is becoming a big problem because of people using alcohol and drugs.” She said such behavior at 35,000ft indoors was frightening, adding: “I thought she was going to attack me. I was worried about the other passengers, especially those around her. She was obviously very drunk.”
Wilson, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to being drunk on the plane and was sentenced to six months suspended for 18 months.
Judge Gavin Doig told her: “You were heard swearing constantly, shouting abuse. When the cabin crew asked you to stop, you were abusive towards those cabin crew members. You tried to attack the person in front of you, who appeared to be your partner , which you were mostly angry with at the time.Your actions also caused fear and anxiety among the cabin crew and other passengers.
The court heard that Wilson is now getting help for her alcohol problems and Katie Spence, defending, said: “This was completely out of character for her. Unfortunately, the people who felt her anger were flight attendants who did not deserve this treatment as which they were. She is appalled by her behavior and has learned her lesson.”