Air rage shame of drunk passenger on f light to rehab
Mother of two attacked crew after downing gin
‘Jekyll and Hyde character’
A MOTHER of two who sparked an air rage alert after downing wine and gin before her flight was on her way to rehab.
Alison Devine, 41, attacked a member of cabin crew and had to be restrained by airline staff and a fellow passenger, a court heard.
The businesswoman had a bottle of wine and several small bottles of gin ‘within just half an hour’ before she boarded an Aer Lingus flight from Glasgow to County Donegal on Wednesday.
She had been travelling to an addiction centre to seek help to combat her alcoholism, but gave in to temptation when left alone at the airport.
The Scot was arrested on landing and appeared at Letterkenny District Court on Thursday.
Garda Eamon McGinley told Judge Paul Kelly that Devine, from Boghead, Lanarkshire, had been detained under the State Airports (Shannon Group) Act 2014. She was charged with being drunk and with assaulting a cabin crew member, Haley Walsh.
Mr McGinley said Mrs Walsh had suffered bruising and was left traumatised after drunken Devine grabbed her by the wrists.
When the charge of assault was put to her at Letterkenny Garda Station, she said: ‘She didn’t like me from the start, she was obnoxious.’
Mr McGinley told the court that Mrs Walsh had to travel on to Dublin to work on another flight but had then had to take time off work.
The court heard she was very emotional as a result of the incident.
Mr McGinley stressed that Devine was not served alcohol during the flight to Carrickfinn Airport.
He also told how the aircraft would not have been able to land in Donegal without the intervention of another passenger, who helping to restrain the accused.
Patsy Gallagher, defending, told the court that Devine was pleading guilty to both charges. He said she had been travelling to Donegal to check in to the De Exeter House rehabilitation centre in Termon.
The clinic had arranged for someone to meet Devine at the airport, and a counsellor was waiting for her when she landed.
But Mr Gallagher highlighted that after his client’s family had left her at Glasgow Airport, she had been able to access alcohol.
He said: ‘She was basically left at the airport alone and allowed to get the plane to Ireland. There was no support on the other side for her.
‘She drank a bottle of wine in literally two minutes and bought five or six small bottles of gin and downed them.
‘She is a Jekyll and Hyde character and she is deeply tearful and fearful of where she has now ended up.’
Mr Gallagher pleaded with the court to allow Devine to complete her treatment.
He also asked that her family be allowed to help her address any compensation or fines which may arise.
Mr Gallagher said: ‘She accepts she is an alcoholic but, unfortunately, she could not help herself when she found herself alone in the airport with access to alcohol.
‘All this difficulty happened within just half an hour.
‘[De Exeter House] is a private, seven-bed unit and Mrs Devine is keen to press ahead with her treatment.
‘I think if she goes ahead with her treatment and we assess it at that stage, then we can plot a way forward.’
Judge Paul Kelly said he was agreeing to bail on the understanding that Mrs Devine attended the rehab centre for treatment.
He ordered her to surrender her passport and driver’s licence and to reside at De Exeter House until March 30.
He also asked Garda Inspector Sean Grant to find out whether the airline or Mrs Walsh were out of pocket.
The court heard how Devine was once a successful businesswoman with a number of employees, but this had fallen by the wayside.
According to social media, Devine operates a nail salon called Femme Fatale in Newmains, Lanarkshire.
It was heard she had tried to overcome her alcoholism and her trip to Ireland was a genuine attempt to receive treatment for her problem.