Drunks who forced holiday flight to be diverted jailed

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JACK MCGREGOR

other. Chloe Griggs, prosecuting, said: “As soon as the flight boarded, the crew were in difficulties.

“Mr Root and Mr Gray were both complaining about the delay and after about 20 minutes a passenger approached the crew and said they were shouting and swearing and disturbing passengers.

“Mr Gray was in possession of an open bottle of Jagermeister and the crew removed it from him.

“Mr Gray was repeatedly banging the seat in front of him and was sick on the floor and seat beside him.

“He then began spitting at the seat in front of him and was shouting and swearing.”

At this point the pilot made the decision to divert and make an emergency landing at Bristol Airport.

Police vehicles swarmed onto the concourse as the plane landed at 11.50am.

Mr Gray told officers he had been drinking since the Friday evening and could not remember anything.

The plane was delayed by a further 90 minutes, costing Thomson £69,468 because of the redirection of planes, flight delays and others expenses.

Both men pled guilty to one count of entering an aircraft while drunk and one of behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting and disorderly manner.

Root sobbed as he was jailed. He has previous convictions, including assault, possession of an offensive weapon and resisting and obstructing the police.

Judge Cullum told him: “Your actions were far more serious – you were sexually vulgar to the air crew trying to control the situation. At the age of 30 you should know a little better.”

Gray, who has no previous convictions, was told: “You were so drunk that when you woke up in Bristol, you thought you were in Spain. THE works of a sculptor are to go on display and can be bought by visitors at a new exhibition.

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