Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

District Judge Nigel Broderick was speaking at Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena, which heard a flight from Belfast International was held up after Banbridge man Joseph Magill (31), of Scarva Walk, became unruly.

Magill admitted behaving in a 'threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner' towards an aircraft crew member and also resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty on September 30 last year.

On Tuesday, a prosecutor told the court at 5.50am, police were tasked to attend an outbound flight to London Stanstead and a cabin crew manager said Magill had been acting in a "disruptive manner" since boarding and she

wanted him removed.

The crew member told police the defendant had asked her for assistance regarding which seat was his as he had not shown his ticket.

The prosecutor said the defendant "did not like the response" and became "verbally abusive," starting to swear at the crew member.

The defendant eventually found his seat and ten minutes later the crew member approached to "clear the air" but Magill got "angry" and swore at her again telling her to "keep her finger out of his face".

The prosecutor added: "The plane was full of other passengers, including young children". Police were called and asked Magill several times to leave but he refused.

Another male with him tried to "calm the situation" but the defendant refused to leave and when arrested was "physically removed" from the plane and he resisted arrest.

When interviewed, Magill told police he had taken alcohol prior to arriving at the airport and the defendant accepted his behaviour had been "completely inappropriate".

Defence barrister Neil Moore said the "irony" was that when arrested and taken to Antrim Police Station, after admitting what he had done, officers took Magill "back to Aldergrove" where he booked a later flight that day with easyJet "without any difficulties" and he flew to London.

Mr Moore said: "It is a remarkable factual background. He was travelling to England with some of his friends to attend a football match. He attended the football match and he then travelled home".

Judge Broderick said he often wonders what passengers expect will happen at Court, and added: "It is a fine only and sometimes I think it should be a greater penalty".

He told the defendant: "Had the offence on the aircraft allowed me to consider a custodial sentence I would readily have done so. These incidents are all too frequent. Those travelling on airplanes, some people, take excessive amounts of alcohol. They then get onto the plane, which is a confined space, with other passengers including young children.

"When someone like you then gives verbal abuse to cabin crew which results in police having to be called and the plane delayed by an hour, in my view, could easily attract a custodial sentence but, for whatever reason, those

who draft these statutory provisions have deemed it appropriate that it is a fine only".

For the charge of behaving in a disorderly manner towards a crew member, the judge handed down a £300 fine to the defendant, who is on benefits.

Resisting police was "aggravated" by the background details and on that charge, Judge Broderick gave the defendant a four months prison term, suspended for two years.

Belfast to London flight delay: Judge calls for tougher sentences for rowdy passengers who hold back planes