Jet turned back due to ‘drunk’ dad
STAG DO PASSENGER ‘STUMBLED AROUND’ ON FLIGHT ACCUSING WOMAN OF THEFT
A PLANE had to turn back to Manchester Airport after a man got drunk and falsely accused another passenger of stealing his phone.
Father-of-five Karl Wend reduced an innocent young woman to tears after he became abusive and aggressive towards her following take-off, a court heard. Cabin crew were said to have found Wend, 45, ‘stumbling around drunk as if on another planet.’
Manchester magistrates court heard a member of staff had to stand in Wend’s way to stop him pushing past them while angrily claiming the unnamed woman had also taken his travel documents. The Ryanair pilot eventually abandoned the four-hour journey to Tenerife and turned back to Manchester. The flight, which had already taken off two hours late, was cancelled due to the time wasted.
Pipe-fitter Wend, from Runcorn, Cheshire, apologised as he admitted being drunk on an aircraft. He was fined £2,500.
Wend, who said he is known as ‘Karl the Smiler,’ claimed he got drunk after learning a relative had undergone successful treatment for cancer and said: “I just got carried away. I never normally drink but that day I drank a lot.
“I was celebrating. I accept what I did was wrong and I wholeheartedly apologise. I am a hard-working man and I do show remorse for this. People know me as ‘Karl the Smiler,’ but I haven’t smiled since then.
“I understand how angry the passengers must have been. I know I ruined their flight and their holiday.
“I will not ever do anything like this again. It’s not worth having a drink.”
Prosecuting, Tess Kenyon said the incident happened on March 8, when Wend was due to attend a stag weekend on the Spanish holiday island.
She said a member of the cabin crew saw Wend was ‘drunk, he smelt of alcohol’ and that he was seen ‘stumbling around believing he was on a different planet.’
In mitigation, defence lawyer Liam Kotrie said: “This was ridiculous behaviour. He doesn’t drink usually.
“The group of people he was out with on the flight to Tenerife were all celebrating going on holiday together. It’s not unusual for people to have a drink before they go away. The flight was delayed so they continued drinking.
“My client then received a text from his cousin, who is more like his brother, about his successful tumour removal.
“This was celebratory. He doesn’t remember anything about the incident on the plane but he shows significant remorse and shame.”
Wend was also ordered to pay £255 costs.