‘Animal’ jailed for knocking man’s tooth out on flight

A DRUNK football fan ‘behaved like a wild animal’ as he knocked out a fellow passenger’s tooth during a Ryanair flight, a court heard.

Adam Whittingham, of Wolverhampton, also rugby tackled a police officer when the plane landed at Manchester Airport, before biting him on the chest.

Whittingham, 33, of Field Street, was jailed for 20 months after pleading guilty to affray and assaulting a police officer.

Minshull Street Crown Court was told that he became violent and erratic soon after he boarded the flight from Morocco on February 9.

A passenger had struck up a conversation with him about football due to the fact he was wearing a Manchester United shirt but things quickly became heated.

Whittingham demanded drinks from the cabin supervisor, along with a glass so he could consume a litre bottle of duty-free whisky he had taken on the flight in his hand luggage.

When he was asked to sit down, he pushed the cabin supervisor and grabbed various items from the trolley.

He then assaulted four passengers – including the man he was sitting next to, knocking his tooth out with a punch. The captain radioed ahead to Manchester Airport and Greater Manchester Police officers were waiting for Whittingham when the flight landed.

When an officer boarded the plane, Whittingham rugby tackled him and bit him on the side of his chest, breaking the skin and drawing blood.

Whittingham was then detained with handcuffs and leg restraints before being removed from the plane.

When asked about the assaults Whittingham said he could not remember any of the incidents and had no recollection of assaulting the officer.

In a statement, the cabin supervisor for the flight said Whittingham’s behaviour was the worst he had seen from a passenger in his 10-year career with the airline, describing it as like having “some kind of wild animal loose on board the aircraft”.

Speaking after the case concluded, Detective Constable Mark Atkinson of Manchester Airport CID said: “Whittingham’s behaviour was appalling.

“I hope the sentence sends a message that we will not tolerate assaults on our officers or the endangerment of flights bound for Manchester Airport.”