Drunk air passenger abused air crew after downing bottle of gin
AFLIGHT to Birmingham almost had to be diverted after a drunk passenger downed a neat bottle of gin and became abusive.
Recently-married Omar Ahmed, 26, became unruly after drinking two gin and tonics, and then the bottle of gin, on the flight from Dubai on December 16.
He asked one of the Emirates cabin crew “Kiss me brother, hug me brother!” before later repeatedly shouting “Don’t f*** with me”, Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard. Ahmed, of Brunswick Road, Balsall Heath, had twice asked for, and was given, a gin and tonic and had not shown any signs of drunkenness.
But when he returned to the galley for a third time, he had acquired two unopened bottles of gin.
“He downed one neat and at this point was swaying and slurring his words,” said David Devine, prosecuting. “The second bottle was taken away from him.”
Ahmed was told to go back to his seat because he was disturbing other passengers, but grew louder. He also slapped one of the crew, although no formal complaint was made. Mr Devine said the defendant then asked to use the toilet and was told he could, although he needed to be quick because the plane was about to land.
Ahmed then started screaming and banging the toilet door.
He came out aggressively, still raising his voice, and another passenger tried to intervene.
One of the cabin crew said, in his nine years of service, it had been the worst situation he had come across.
If it had happened earlier in the flight, he said, Ahmed would have been restrained and the flight possibly diverted.
Ahmed admitted being drunk on an aircraft and was given a 12-month community order and ordered to do 250 hours unpaid work.
Aatif Riaz, defending, said Ahmed cared for his elderly parents and had married three-and-a-half months ago.
“He cannot handle his drink,” he said. “The reason he did on this occasion was that he was married, had gone on holiday and was enjoying himself.”