Drunk passenger who punched female cabin crew member on flight between Belfast and Turkey given suspended sentence
A DRUNK passenger who punched a female member of cabin crew during a flight between Belfast and Turkey has received a suspended prison sentence.
Andrew Bryan Gibson (42), of Ravenhill Avenue in Belfast, pleaded guilty to assault; failing to comply with a command on a Jet2 flight and a charge of behaving 'in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner' towards an aircraft crew member.
Ballymena Magistrates' Court, on Thursday, heard sentence had been deferred until now.
The defendant committed offences on October 20, 2022. A prosecutor told the earlier court the defendant punched the cabin crew member on the arm and put her in fear of further violence "to the point where she had to remove herself from the situation".
Gibson was verbally abusive and "made inappropriate gestures towards passengers and cabin crew throughout the busy flight which consisted of members of the public and young children".
The prosecutor said the defendant "caused intentional disruption" and had to be "physically restrained and his seat belt placed on him after refusing to co-operate".
The flight was going to Dalaman Airport.
The defendant was banned from flying with Jet2 and had to make alternative arrangements to get home.
The court heard Gibson had been travelling with others to Turkey.
A defence lawyer told the earlier court the defendant had pleaded guilty and had shown "complete and utter remorse" and was "ashamed and embarrassed".
The lawyer said the offences happened when Gibson "relapsed" after being off alcohol for a time.
The lawyer said since the incident before the court the defendant had subsequently flown without incident.
District Judge Nigel Broderick had deferred sentencing for a year to see if the defendant could stay out of trouble.
He told Gibson at the earlier court: "I take a very dim view of this behaviour because not only did you physically assault a member of the cabin crew but you were also, during the course of the flight, verbally abusive and aggressive to other passengers".
At court on Thursday, a defence lawyer said the defendant has engaged with Narcotics Anonymous.
Judge Broderick said the defendant had not reoffended and had engaged in regard to "mental health and addiction issues".
The judge said he takes a "dim view" of offences on planes which are confined spaces.
He said: "Those who are victims of this behaviour can't extract themselves from what you are doing.
"It is not as if they are in a bus or a train or in a public area where they can walk away".
The judge said the defendant had honoured the conditions of the deferral period and handed down a five months jail sentence, suspended for three years. The defendant was also fined £750.