Air rage passengers in court
08.01.12
Liverpool crown court heard five Polish passengers went on a ‘rampage’ after drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels on a Ryanair flight from Lodz to Liverpool Airport on December 12. Cabin crew had to restrained one of the drunken passengers, who they feared would try to open the plane door in flight, the Echo reports.
Martin Decker, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The captain was informed by the chief of cabin crew they were going to be causing problems as they were very merry and drunk. They refused to stay seated and stumbled about the plane, upsetting passengers by harassing and interfering with them, making passes and sitting on their knees.'
‘With about 40 minutes left of the flight, the captain asked that the safety seat belt sign be put on to try to calm the situation, hoping this would make them sit in their seats.’ However, Cseslaw Kociolek, 53, of Pendle Street, Nelson, kept trying to hug and touch the cabin crew leader. He had to be physically restrained in his seat as the staff thought he might go and open the cabin door.
Kociolek and co-accused Piotr Staszewski, 33, of Krzytoporska, Poland, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an plane while several other men await trial. The pair, neither of whom have previous convictions, spent 22 days in prison over Christmas.
Steve Rose, defending Kociolek, said: ‘They got chatting and drinking. Their behaviour was rowdy but it was not aggressive.’ Tom Watson, defending Staszewski, said his client was on pills for his fear of flying at the time of the incident.
Judge Robert Warnock sentenced both men to four months in prison, suspended for two years. He ordered them to compensate Ryanair £250 each and pay costs of £250.
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