An intoxicated Tui passenger was handcuffed to his seat mid-flight due to his “obscene” behaviour 36,000 feet in the air.
Alexander Rogers, 40, shouted vile abuse at cabin crew whilst on an eight-hour flight from Mexico to Manchester Airport.
The self-employed scaffolder launched into a vile rant where he called one steward an “Arab b****h”.
The 40-year-old caused such a ruckus that two off-duty police officers who were on the flight had to intervene.
Drunk Tui passenger handcuffed to seat after ‘obscene’ outburst mid-air
GMP/Getty
After being restrained, he yelled: “You can’t f******’ cuff me. Black Lives Matter. I am not a terrorist. I am not a danger to the plane. I am not a terrorist.” He also pushed the shoulder of another crew member and told her to “Just f*** off. Get f*****.”
Rogers, who was travelling back from Cancun with his partner, has since admitted to consuming six double vodkas before boarding the flight.
Manchester Crown Court was told that cabin crew became aware of an altercation between the 40-year-old and a passenger sitting in front of him.
Rogers allegedly kicked the back of his fellow passenger’s chair and placed his feet through the chair gap.
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Rogers was travelling back from Cancun with his partner
GMP
Staffers then quickly stepped in to move him to the back of the plane, after they heard him shout that he would “knock him out”.
He was later handcuffed after attempting to throw one of his shoes at fellow passengers.
Prosecutor Keira Shaw told the court that his behaviour was “irate”, and that the captain had considered diverting the flight.
However, due to the weather conditions and likely inconvenience to other passengers, this idea was shelved.
After the plane landed, he was apprehended and arrested. He admitted to officers that his behaviour was partly down to him being a nervous flyer.
Manchester Crown Court heard that the 40-year-old caused such a ruckus that two off-duty police officers who were on the flight had to intervene
PA
Rogers, shouted vile abuse at cabin crew on the Tui flight
PA
“He accepted that he was intoxicated and had he not had so much alcohol, he would not have acted in that manner,” Shaw said.
The captain of the plane said that Rogers’ behaviour was “physically abusive, obscene and lewd”, in a statement presented to the court.
The 40-year-old has been sentenced to six months in prison.
Hugh Barton Defence said the incident was “extremely serious and very unpleasant” and insisted that Rogers was “genuinely remorseful and ashamed about what he did”.
“He does not take issue with the account that has been given. He accepts fully his responsibility. This was completely and utterly out of character and he is deeply ashamed of how he acted,” Barton added.
Sentencing, Judge Paul Lawton said: “The victims are everyone on that flight. No one has anywhere to go at 36,000ft. It is not a pub, where people can walk out. There are people who say they will not fly again when they see people like this.”