A drunken mother who swigged from a bottle of duty free spirits was of ‘real concern’ to flight crew during a mid-air incident before she was eventually arrested, a court heard.
Police were alerted before the Manchester-bound flight from Dublin due to Nicola Dooley’s conduct.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard a bottle of spirits she had bought was found to be three-quarters empty. Dooley had been put at the back of the plane.
The 38-year-old was so drunk she didn’t know where she was when she was spoken to by police. She was hauled before a judge and handed a suspended prison sentence.
Prosecuting, Zahra Khan said officers at Manchester Airport were informed of reports of an ‘aggressive’ passenger on an Aer Lingus flight, which was due to arrive on December 22 last year from Dublin.
Dooley had been moved to the rear of the plane due to her behaviour. She used ‘abusive language’ towards other passengers, the court heard.
When she arrived at Manchester, it became ‘obvious’ to police Dooley was drunk.
She couldn’t find her ID documents and said she ‘didn’t know she was in Manchester’, and said she had ‘missed her flight’.
Nicola Dooley, 38, swigged from a bottle of duty free spirits during a flight from Dublin to Manchester and prompted ‘real concern’
The 38-year-old was said to be so drunk that she didn’t know where she was when she was spoken to by police
Dooley had been moved to the rear of the Aer Lingus flight due to her behaviour. She used ‘abusive language’ towards other passengers, the court heard
They discovered she had a duty free bag containing three, one litre bottles of spirits.
One had been opened and was three-quarters empty. Dooley pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft.
Defending, Megan Edwards said Dooley had experienced ‘extreme shame, embarrassment and remorse’. She said the defendant has no previous convictions.
Ms Edwards said no members of staff or passengers were willing to make a witness statement.
Sending Dooley to prison would have a ‘significant harmful impact’ on her children, the barrister said.
She told the court Dooley had been travelling to and from her native Ireland frequently at the time, to facilitate contact between her children and her partner who still lives in the country. Dooley had moved to the UK months prior, Ms Edwards said.
Sentencing, Judge Tina Landale told Dooley: ‘Your behaviour was clearly of real concern because the staff on board requested the police to attend on landing to arrest you.
‘It was reported that there was an aggressive passenger onboard who was heavily intoxicated.
Dooley, of Huddersfield, was sentenced to three months, suspended for 12 months
‘But it is relevant that not a single passenger or a single crew member has chosen to make a witness statement.
‘Your behaviour demonstrates that you were extremely drunk. You couldn’t find your ID documents and you didn’t even know where you were.’
Dooley, of Huddersfield, was sentenced to three months, suspended for 12 months.
She was ordered to carry out 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
