Passenger assaulted four workers at Belfast International Airport after being told her hand luggage was too large
Four people working at Belfast International Airport were assaulted by a woman passenger after she was told her hand luggage was too large and she would have to pay a fee.
Sara Hendre (24), of Bridge Street in Ballymena admitted four charges of assault and being disorderly at Belfast International Airport on December 18 last year.
She was given a three months jail sentence at Ballymena Magistrates' Court on Thursday where District Judge Nigel Broderick said it had been a "disgraceful" incident and airport workers will be protected by the courts.
The defendant, who was flying to Romanian at the time of the incident, had the assistance of a Romanian interpreter at the court.
A prosecutor said the four victims - three female "airline handling agents" and a cleaner required first aid following the 8.50am incident.
The court heard there was an issue regarding "oversized baggage". The prosecutor said a payment was asked for and the defendant refused to do so "and then wouldn't board". The judge said he watched CCTV of the incident.
The prosecutor said three females and a male were struck "numerous times" by the defendant. At one stage Hendre ran a short distance and struck a woman on the face and chased another woman hitting her on the face and knocking her glasses off. The woman had her hair pulled and she was struck again.
The defendant then ran towards a third woman who was on a phone asking for assistance. She was struck a number of times and her glasses were knocked off as she was "cowering" in a corner, the prosecutor added. The woman was struck on the head.
A cleaner arrived and he was struck on the back of the head when he tried to stop the incident.
A defence barrister said the defendant had no record here nor in Romania. He said it had been "totally disgraceful, reprehensible, behaviour" by the mother of two young children.
The lawyer said the children witnessed the incident as Hendry was taking them back to Romania for the first time to see her wider family and "through her own actions that didn't happen".
He added: "It would appear because the hand luggage was beyond that little basket you have to put it in that they demanded that she pay them money. She took issue with that. They then closed the gate which then inflamed the situation. I am not in any way trying to pass blame to the airport handlers, she handled this in entirely the wrong way".
He said the defendant, clearly, had an "anger management issue". The barrister said the defendant wished to apologise.
Judge Broderick said it had been "disgraceful" behaviour and added: "The victims are performing a public service in that they work in the International Airport and they need and deserve the protection of the courts when they are assaulted in this manner."
He told the defendant: "This was not a momentary loss of temper or anger. You have assaulted four victims and you have chased them round the area trying to assault them even though they are trying to escape from you."
The judge said he could take into account the clear record and guilty plea "but there must be a deterrence element to these sentences in order to protect such people at their place of work".
He jailed the defendant for three months. Bail was fixed for appeal in the sum of £500.