A drunken holidaymaker caused fear and suffering in the air by shouting and swearing during a flight from Spain to Newcastle.
Tipsy April Wilson was upset as she boarded the Jet2 flight in Alicante along with 187 other passengers and cabin crew. There were repeated attempts to calm the 58-year-old. She continued to shout and swear, including at two female cabin crew members.
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, cabin crew noticed she looked angry and asked if she was okay. The hearing was told that her anger and rage were mainly directed at her partner.
Midway through the flight, a number of passengers complained about her behaviour, saying she was drunk and kept swearing, with one staff member hearing her say “f***” repeatedly. She was asked to stop, but she didn’t. As the cabin crew member walked away, a slurring Wilson said: “f*** her” and when again told to stop swearing, he replied: “What the f*** are you going to do, you stupid little cow”.
The flight manager then approached her to try to calm her down and Wilson referred to someone, who appeared to be her partner, who she said was challenging her. Wilson appeared upset and said, “You don’t understand, I need a hug” and tried to grab the flight manager to hug her.
The manager made her a hot drink, but Wilson continued to curse, and when the plane landed in Newcastle she unfastened her seat belt and tried to get out of her seat.
The court heard a number of passengers complained about her and two who sat next to her were moved to another seat early in the flight. After disembarking from the plane at Newcastle Airport, Wilson was arrested.
She said she drank vodka and two small bottles of wine on the flight the night before. Mark Atkins, prosecuting, said: “She said her partner challenged her because of her appearance and intelligence, and she shouted and swore in return and shouted and swore when the cabin crew told her to calm down. She appeared remorseful.”
The first flight attendant sworn in by Wilson said in a victim impact statement that she was “shaken” by what happened. She added: “I was afraid her behavior would escalate and I felt intimidated about what would happen next. There were 188 passengers on board, of all ages, and they were subjected to her behavior. This kind of behavior on airplanes is getting worse. and more often.”
The flight manager added: “This is becoming a huge problem because people are using alcohol and drugs.” She said such behavior at 10,000 meters in an enclosed space is intimidating, adding: “I thought she was going to attack me. I was worried about the other passengers, especially those around her. She was clearly very drunk. “
Wilson, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an airplane and was sentenced to six months suspended, including 18 months.
Judge Gavin Doig told her: “You were heard repeatedly shouting swearing and swearing. When the cabin crew asked you to stop, you insulted the cabin crew members. You tried to attack the person in front of you, which appeared to be your partner, who you were especially angry with at the time.
The court heard Wilson is now getting help for her alcohol problems and Katie Spence, defending, said: “This was completely out of character. Unfortunately, the people who felt her wrath were the flight attendants who didn’t deserve to be treated like that. as they were. She is shocked by her behavior and has learned her lesson.”