A passenger, who was guzzling prosecco and threw a tantrum on a TUI flight before she was arrested after calling a cabin crew member a ‘p***’. The pilot even considered diverting the plane due to Kesley Hughes’ behaviour.
The 32-year-old mum was flying from Almeria in Spain to Manchester when she was asked to stop a FaceTime call during the safety demonstration. She became angry after being told she couldn’t charge her phone.
Hughes called the decision ‘f***ing ridiculous’, shouted ‘sausage’ at a steward and made a ‘bent hand’ gesture, which he believed was a reference to his sexuality, the MEN reports.
At Manchester Crown Court, it was revealed that the pilot gave staff permission to use a restraint kit on Hughes, but it wasn’t eventually used. She pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour; failing to obey the command of a pilot; and entering an aircraft when drunk.
Hughes received a suspended jail sentence. Prosecutor Nick Roxborough said Hughes was travelling to Manchester from Spain with her partner on October 22.
When asked to fasten her seatbelt, she replied: “I can’t fasten it, I’m fat.” As the plane was about to take off, Hughes began to shout and scream, causing worry among other passengers. She drank from a bottle of prosecco and used a vape, both of which were taken away.
Despite being given a ‘notice of action’, she ignored it. Upon landing in Manchester, Hughes insulted the steward before being detained by the police.
The steward stated: “I have been doing my job for many years, this incident has been the worst situation I have ever dealt with. I felt intimidated and threatened.”
Hughes has a history of five previous convictions for eight offences, including battery and assault of an emergency worker.
Her defence lawyer, Oliver Saddington, said: “She is under no illusion that people in her position can expect to receive a custodial sentence. I am asking the court to make an exceptional consideration for her case.”
The court heard that Hughes’ family had arranged for her to go on holiday as she ‘needed a break’. She suffers from depression and didn’t have her medication during the trip, Mr Saddington added, and had attempted to self-harm.
The mother of three suffers from PTSD after finding the body of her former partner following his death, Mr Saddington said, adding: “It’s a sad case.”
Judge Stephen Davies told Hughes: “You ignored the pilot’s instructions about using your phone and fastening your seatbelt. You engaged in a campaign of insulting words and behaviour against the member of staff who you believed was gay.
“Your behaviour was so bad that the aircraft staff considered either diverting the flight or using restraints on you. Fortunately – for everybody – that course of conduct was not carried out as the flight arrived safely.”
Hughes, a resident of Minver Crescent, Nottingham, faced a four-month sentence which got suspended for a year. She also had to complete 60 hours of unpaid work; 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements; and undergo a 90-day alcohol treatment programme.
