Drunken gran barred from f light to Dubai broke her arm in police clash
‘I was very emotional’
AS she sipped Prosecco at the airport, Alison Yorston was looking forward to the holiday of a lifetime – celebrating her 50th birthday in Dubai.
Sadly, the dream was not to be, as the school admissions officer was deemed too drunk to fly after stumbling on her way to the gate.
As she waited for her baggage to be taken off the Emirates flight, Yorston began pushing airport staff and screamed: ‘They’ve ruined my holiday – I’m going to board that ****ing plane.’
Police were called, but the tussle continued and Yorston kicked a PC in the groin – then fell to the floor, breaking her own arm in three places.
The grandmother, still wearing a sling, wept as she was given a community order after admitting common assault and a public order offence at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
Yorston, from Sale, Greater Manchester, was also convicted of assaulting a policeman at trial, and now faces losing her job.
The incident took place on June 1 last year, after friends and relatives paid for Yorston to go on the trip with her daughter and grandson. Her family members were allowed to board the plane and went on holiday without her.
Yorston, whose husband is a company director, had shared a bottle of Prosecco with her daughter at Manchester Airport. She also admitted having wine and soda but, when interviewed, claimed only to have been ‘five out of ten’ drunk. She blamed her ‘wobbling’ on her high heels.
Giving evidence, PC Martin Sharrocks said Yorston had been ‘staggering around, waving her arms and shouting abuse’. He added: ‘She was drunk and there was a very strong smell of alcohol that I could smell a metre away.’ PC Sharrocks said at first he simply held Yorston’s arm and took her phone away, stressing she was not being arrested but needed to calm down.
She responded by telling him her brother-in-law was a police sergeant who would ‘**** [him] over’.
PC Sharrocks went on to arrest Yorston after she kicked him in the groin.
Following her fall, PC Sharrocks said it was clear Yorston had injured her arm and medical assistance was called. However, she continued to kick out at staff and had to be put in leg restraints.
Prosecutor Richard Stone told the court that while Yorston claimed ‘it was not her intention to hit the officer’, her actions had still been ‘reckless’. He said: ‘Once Mrs Yorston was removed from the flight, she became aggressive and started to kick at the ground staff. [She] said it was her 50th birthday and airline staff had ruined her holiday.’ Police were called but she continued to lash out, eventually falling and breaking her arm.
Police bodycam footage recorded Yorston shouting: ‘ This was a special present for me. Why are you **** ing breaking my arm? Don’t **** ing touch me.
‘ It was not an accident, oh my God, there was no accident. The police officers broke my arm. I’m asking for your number because you broke my ****ing arm.’
Yorston told the court: ‘ My reason for stumbling was because I was wearing highheeled shoes and I was unsteady whilst walking.’
She added: ‘I admit I was abusive towards staff and I prodded them but I was very upset and emotional as I couldn’t go on the holiday of a lifetime, it was a gift and contributions from family and friends.’
She claimed PC Sharrocks had been ‘ aggressive and forceful’ and denied kicking out at him deliberately, saying she was simply ‘ waving my arms about’.
However, she accepted that ‘ red mist’ had probably descended when police turned up. She now felt ‘ ashamed’ and had apologised for her behaviour, she added.
Her lawyer Paul Shepherd said: ‘ This was totally out of character for her.’
Yorston was sentenced on Tuesday to a six-month community order and ordered to wear an electronic tag under the terms of an overnight curfew. She was also ordered to pay £735 in court costs.