Drunk Jet2 passenger punched female cabin crew member on flight to Turkey

A drunk Jet2 passenger who punched a female member of a cabin crew while a was mid-flight has avoided jail. Andrew Bryan Gibson was around an hour into the flight from International Airport to Dalaman, in , on October 20, 2022, when he punched a female member of the cabin crew in the arm.

The stewardess was left in shock, and so scared of possible further violence that she "had to remove herself from the situation", Ballymena heard. Gibson became so disruptive during the flight that he had to be "physically restrained" by staff, and had his seat belt "placed on him" after he refused to co-operate.

reports lawyers added Gibson had continued to be verbally abusive during the flight, and had "made inappropriate gestures towards passengers and cabin crew throughout the busy flight which consisted of members of the public and young children".

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The court heard the 42-year-old, from Ravenhill Avenue in east Belfast, was slapped with a ban by Jet2 after the incident, and was forced to make alternative arrangements so he could return home to Northern Ireland.

When the case came to court, Gibson pleaded guilty to charges of common assault, failing to comply with a lawful command on a Jet2 flight and behaving in a “threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner” towards a member of aircraft crew.

Sentencing him on Thursday, District Judge Nigel Broderick reminded the court he had deferred the case just over a year ago with a promise to Gibson that if he stayed out of trouble, he would stay out of jail. The judge said he was "extremely fortunate" to have received a deferral.

He added that judges "take a very dim view" of people who misbehave during plane flights, as witnesses and victims cannot get away in the "confined space".

Gibson was sentenced to five months jail time suspended for three years, with the judge also choosing to impose fines amounting to £500.

He warned the defendant that, if he was to commit any further offences, he would have "no hesitation in sending you straight to prison".