A British Airways flight attendant has avoided immediate jail time after being found naked and under the influence of methamphetamine in an aircraft toilet during a flight from California to London.
Haden Pentecost, 41, from Basingstoke, pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court to performing an aviation function while impaired by drugs. The court heard that Pentecost was agitated, sweating, and babbling, and failed to assist with pre-flight safety checks.
After complaining of stomach cramps, he locked himself in a toilet, where a colleague discovered him naked and unaware of his state. She dressed him and moved him to a free seat. The captain was informed, and a health professional monitored him every 20 minutes until the plane landed at Heathrow.
A blood test revealed methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system. Pentecost has since been sacked by British Airways. He was granted bail and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court at a later date.
