‘Internet’s no. 1 star’
Mum pleads guilty after Jetstar disturbance
A MOTHER of two who was hauled off a Gold Coast flight by police in what became a viral social media clip has claimed she suffered under internet notoriety.
Southport Magistrates Court was told airline staff believed Erica Jayne Carlson was affected by alcohol on a Victoria-bound Jetstar flight on January 8, after she fell into her seat during boarding.
Prosecutor Kate Thomson said a flight attendant decided the 42-year-old was not fit to fly after speaking with her and asked her to leave the plane.
Ms Thompson told the court an argumentative Carlson refused several requests to disembark, and staff soon called in Australian Federal Police officers for assistance.
“Officers attended (her seat) and spoke with (Carlson), and formed the view she was intoxicated,” she said.
The court was told Carlson began filming her interaction with police, continuing to argue she was “fine to fly” and would have to be removed from the plane.
She was soon escorted out by five police officers.
The court was told there was no official testing done to determine whether Carlson was intoxicated. Footage of the incident quickly began circulating on social media, in which several passengers could be heard chanting “goodbye” as the Lennox Heads woman was escorted from the flight.
Defence lawyer Michael McMillan, of Donnelly Law Group, said the single mother of two became “the internet’s no. 1 star” and faced significant backlash as the incident spread on social media and international news coverage.
He said Carlson was travelling to Victoria to see family, and only fought against orders to leave the plane due to the financial and personal losses she would suffer.
“She doesn’t say she didn’t have any drinks – what she says is, ‘I got upset because I don’t have a lot of money and I was told that was it, I was going to lose my flight (and) my $177 was gone’,” Mr McMillan said.
“No matter what Your Honour does today – and I’m urging Your Honour not to add to her problems – she’s already endured unhappy, unhealthy public spotlight for some time.”
Mr McMillan said Carlson also feared losing her reception job and reputation in her small community.
Carlson pleaded guilty to one count of offensive or disorderly behaviour on an aircraft. She was released under a ninemonth good behaviour bond. No conviction was recorded.
SHE’S ALREADY ENDURED UNHAPPY, UNHEALTHY PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT FOR SOME TIME. DEFENCE LAWYER MICHAEL McMILLAN