A holidaymaker went on a drunken rampage aboard a passenger jet waiting at Manchester Airport after downing shots in an airport departure lounge during a seven hour flight delay.
Darren Gill, from West Yorkshire, was escorted off his Ryanair flight by armed police after he heckled cabin crew during an inflight safety demonstration, Manchester Magistrates Court heard.
The 34-year-old construction worker accused officers of ''ruining his holiday'' when they were called to eject him from the plane after he subjected passengers to a foul-mouthed tirade of abuse aimed at his partner, who was sat at the back of the plane.
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He told her: ''Where the f**k is my passport?” then told officers: ''Why am I being taken off? - I’m not even drunk.” After attempts to calm him down failed he then had to be handcuffed after struggling violently and headbutting a steel post as he was led away.
By the time Gill, from Keighley, sobered up in the cells he could barely recall the incident.
At Manchester magistrates court, Gill, of Bolling Hall Road, Bradford, admitted being drunk on an aircraft and was fined £459 with a £184 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
The incident occurred on July 26 last year after Gill and his wife and their young son were due to fly from Manchester Airport to Santander in Spain.
Megan Edwards, prosecuting, said: “Fully armed specialist officers were called to Gate 3 in Manchester Airport’s Terminal 3 in response to reports of a drunken passenger refusing to listen to airline staff and being generally abusive."
She told the court how Gill had shouted “Where the f**k is my passport” across the whole plane to his wife sitting at the back before asking officers why he was being taken off, and telling them he 'wasn't even drunk'.
"An officer then attempted to move him towards the cabin door for exit but the defendant started to struggled and pulled the officer towards the door," she continued. "The other officer in attendance then assisted in restraining the defendant and they managed to put him in an armlock before eventually handcuffing him despite him struggling throughout."
Once off the jet, Ms Edwards said Gill started shouting that the officers “ruined his holiday.”
“During the struggle he screamed that he couldn’t feel his hands, despite the officers leaving adequate space to move in the cuffs," she added. "He also called one of the other officers a “fat b*****d.”
“The defendant’s behaviour was getting more and more irate and at one point he headbutted a steel pole he was passing, causing a small laceration. The defendant refused to calm down, and so the officers took him to the ground. Soon after this he calmed down and sat back up. He was then arrested and taken to a nearby custody suite.”
Gill had 67 previous offences on his record including a public order matter in 2004.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Harold Smith said Gill had 'no issue with drugs or alcohol', but he 'just foolishly consumed a lot of alcohol before the delayed flight'.
“He was living with his partner in Keighley prior to this incident," Mr Smith added. "They started a relationship seven years ago and unfortunately their relationship came to an abrupt end that day. He has subsequently left the address and moved to a new part of Keighley.”
