A PASSENGER was handcuffed in his seat for raging and threatening the crew on a British Airways flight after they refused to serve him a drink.
Simon Jones, 51, was on a flight from LA International Airport to London Heathrow when he became “agitated” and began angrily shouting at staff.
On Monday, he appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court where he was sentenced to 12 months’ community service – and 150 hours of unpaid work.
The prosecutor, Ashleigh Etienne, said the passenger next to Jones said he began “clapping” and “talking very loudly” during the pre-flight security checks.
She said: “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”.
The court heard the passenger next to him asked him “not to swear and to be mindful of other passengers, however he did not listen”.
Etienne said at one point the defendant got up and his pillow touched the passenger’s foot next to him.
He shouted to him “if you do that again I will put that into your f****** face”.
The passenger next to him asked to move seats in order to get away from Jones, she added.
And the captain ordered no more alcohol to be served to Jones as he was becoming “irate, gritting his teeth… pacing up and down the cabin.”
Matters escalated when Jones stormed to the emergency exit despite staff urging him not to.
He then began to argue with a member of the crew and shouting at passengers.
After his tirade, the captain instructed for Jones to be restrained and he was detained with handcuffs on his seat.
The prosecution said he proceeded to shout at one crew member: “oi blonde boy loosen them cuffs or I’ll wrap them around your neck”.
Jones had to be checked every 15 minutes until the flight landed which “significantly impacted” the crew’s duties, she added.
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.”
The judge also 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.”
