A holidaymaker looking forward to a trip to Amsterdam boarded an easyJet flight but woke up in a Bristol police cell instead of the Netherlands. Stephen Bartle was so excited about the trip with pals he had far too much to drink, a court heard.
After boarding the flight from Bristol Airport he was too inebriated to operate his seat belt. When cabin crew intervened he was abusive to them - telling one to commit a sex act on him - and was ejected from the aircraft before it departed.
Bartle, 36, of Green Lane, Redruth, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft in March. He also admitted a public order offence.
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Judge James Patrick handed him an 18-month community order with 150 hours' unpaid work and £425 costs. As he left court, Bartle told Bristol Live: "I just want to apologise to everybody that was on the plane. I was a little bit drunk, said a couple of things that I shouldn't have done, and want to put this all behind me."
Andy Pickett, prosecuting, said Bartle was verbally abusive to two female cabin crew. He was in such a state he was physically restrained by a friend and another passenger, Bristol Crown Court heard.
One female cabin crew member made an impact statement in which she described degrading abuse she received as "shocking and upsetting". She said she had felt totally humiliated and trapped.
She wrote: "He said nothing to male staff. I believe he is a coward, he needs to be taught how to respect women."
Mr Pickett said the aircraft was not in flight at the time of the incident. He said that later, at the police station, Bartle didn't know which country he was in.
Bartle, who was unrepresented in court, told the judge: "I'm deeply embarrassed about some of the things I said. I'm not really an aggressive man at all.
"It is the first time I've been in any sort of trouble with the court at all. I just work and keep my head down normally, but I was excited about going on holiday with friends and I drank a little bit too much.
"When I woke up in the police cell I thought I may have been in Amsterdam. I'm deeply regretful, I just want to keep my head down and carry on with my life, know what I mean?"
Judge Patrick told him: "It is a tragedy to see a man of good character. You behaved in simply a shocking way, turning up for a flight, extremely drunk, so drunk you were incapable of demonstrating you were safe to fly."
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