Drunken brute who butted plane door told to ‘grow up’ by judge
A DRUNK man who butted a plane door and reduced a cabin crew member to tears on a flight from Manchester Airport has been told by a judge to ‘grow up.’
Scott Hardman, 36, became aggressive with another passenger from his own group on a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Prague, before punching and butting the door.
He repeatedly shouted and screamed at the passenger despite being told to calm down and had to be escorted off the flight by police.
One cabin crew member was so distressed by the defendant’s behaviour that she was reduced to tears.
A judge told Hardman, from Stockport, he was ‘36, not 16’ as she spared him jail. Manchester Crown Court heard the flight was due to leave the city at 2.15pm on February 14, but maintenance issues kept it grounded.
Prosecutor Simone Flynn said: “A member of the cabin crew became concerned about the behaviour of a group of passengers including the defendant who were sat at the rear of the aircraft. The defendant appeared to drunk and was shouting obscenities and threatening violence at another male in the group. He was then manoeuvred to the gallery at the rear of the plane but was still shouting and screaming.”
A senior cabin crew member said she heard Hardman shouting ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’ and ‘I’m going to knock you out.’
His father-in-law, who was also onboard the flight attempted to calm him down, but he remained erratic, the court heard. He then started kicking the plane door.
Ms Flynn said: “He did eventually start to calm down and stated that he wanted to call his wife to come pick him up. The police then arrived and an officer described him as being clearly under the influence of alcohol. The defendant was asked to turn around and face the aircraft door. He was uncooperative and then headbutted the door.” Hardman was arrested and escorted off. Other passengers were left ‘distressed,’ the court heard. Defending, Robert Kearney said his client acted ‘erratically’ after drinking alcohol. He said Hardman had suffered mental health issues and was ‘distressed that day and in a poor state of mind.’ Mr Kearney said: “The aircraft was not in flight. If it had been in flight, that would have been a serious aggravating feature. This is a defendant who was his own worst enemy.” Judge Elizabeth Nicholls agreed to impose a suspended prison term in light of the ‘extraordinary times we are living in with Covid-19.’
Sentencing, she told Hardman: “You had drunk so much that you were wholly out of control. You would have caused profound distress to the passengers sitting around you and I suspect there were young children who had to witness your display of aggression and violence. There is absolutely no excuse for your conduct. You behaved as a drunk, foolish man. You are 36, not 16, you need to learn to grow up and take responsibility.”
Hardman, of Lloyd Street, Heaton Norris, was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to entering an aircraft when drunk.
He was also handed a two-month curfew and must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
You had drunk so much that you were wholly out of control Judge Elizabeth Nicholls