A drunken man's foul-mouthed outburst directed at cabin crew left more than three hundred passengers with their holidays 'ruined' after a Jet2 flight was cancelled.
Jason Mulhern, 57, and his wife were due to board a flight to Dalaman, Turkey, from Manchester Airport on June 22, 2024, when she passed comment on a fellow passenger's accent. When Mulhern joined in and started 'shouting', cabin crew intervened and subsequently informed the pair they would no longer be served alcohol.
Verbal attack on crew
Mulhern, from Trafford, then turned 'aggressive, defensive and angry', Manchester Crown Court was told. He told staff they were 'out of order', that he and his wife were 'on their holidays' and wanted to 'booze up'. Following a further warning from the captain that they faced removal if they carried on, the couple 'disgruntledly' accepted the situation.
However, as the aircraft began taxiing towards the runway, Mulhern launched into a verbal attack on a crew member, calling her a 'f***ing Nazi and a c***'. He further declared that 'he was an adult and could do as he wished', reports the Manchester Evening News.
Removal and cancellation
Prosecutor Betsy Hindle told the court that the 20-year-old crew member felt so uncomfortable and intimidated that she relocated her seat while the plane was still taxiing. "The defendant was saying: 'You can't call anyone a c*** these days, even when they are being one. If I want to call you a c***, I will'. He also said all the crew were Nazis," Ms Hindle said.
The court was told the captain was notified and took the decision to remove Mulhern and his partner from the aircraft, prompting applause from fellow passengers. Consequently, the flight was called off and had to taxi back to the gate, with police being contacted.
Impact on passengers
The court heard the flight had already experienced a two-hour delay. Officers spoke to Mulhern on board, noting he was slurring his speech and constantly interrupting them. When they explained he had committed an offence, his response was: "Oh f*** off", followed by: "I can say whatever I want, it's a free county. If I think you're a Nazi, I'll say it."
As a result of this, the aircraft was significantly delayed and cancelled altogether due to restrictions on safe flying hours. Three hundred passengers had to disembark and decontrol through security. Accommodation and meals had to be sought for those on the flight. Also three hundred passengers in Turkey were affected, who were due to return to Manchester on that same plane," Ms Hindle informed the court.
The court heard several passenger statements were gathered. One passenger described Mulhern as 'obviously drunk' and being 'verbally abusive'. Another recalled hearing him tell staff: "I don't understand why I can't have a drink like a f***ing adult'. Ms Hindle revealed Jet2 will be pursuing a civil claim totalling £44,710, covering expenses for accommodation and delays.
Sentence and consequences
Lisa Judge, representing the defence, asked the court to view the incident as being at the 'lowest level of culpability' given the absence of physical violence. She acknowledged that Mulhern and his wife had consumed alcohol before boarding, and noted the flight had already experienced delays. "This was the use of language only," she said.
She highlighted that character references showed him to be an important person in his team, describing him as 'responsible and mature'. She further explained that his previous service in the Armed Forces had led to him 'self-medicating' with alcohol.
"Nobody was forcing you to drink. There was no need to drink, that was a choice you took," Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said. "Your conduct caused the plane to be delayed again. Your conduct alone was responsible for the loss of that day's flight. A flight that everyone's holidays had to be deferred, everyone had to make alternative arrangements, everyone had to be put up in hotels. You ruined or potentially ruined every other person's holiday who boarded that flight. That was the impact of your single behaviour."
Judge Nicholls told Mulhern, who was supported by his wife in the public gallery: "What you did was quite frankly despicable. It caused chaos and distress to a large number of people. I hope you now understand the consequences of your behaviour."
Mulhern, of Jewel Close, Urmston, received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. In addition, he was ordered to complete five days of rehabilitation activity requirements, a 120-day alcohol abstinence order and 300 hours of unpaid work, along with £500 in court costs. The court also confirmed that he faces a lifelong ban from travelling with Jet2.
