A Ryanair passenger has been handed a suspended prison sentence after a furious outburst over a delayed in-flight sandwich led him to lock himself in an aircraft toilet and direct a torrent of homophobic abuse at cabin crew.
Mid-Air Meltdown Over Meal
Dublin District Court heard how Gerard Moorehouse, a 45-year-old father-of-two from Piercetown, Newbridge, Co Kildare, caused significant disruption on a flight from London Gatwick to Dublin on August 15. The court was told that Moorehouse, described as 'demanding', repeatedly used the call bell before he could even place his food order.
After finally ordering a toastie, he was informed there would be a 10-15 minute wait. This prompted an aggressive and hostile reaction. Moorehouse reportedly turned to two cabin crew members and asked, 'are you gay?' before escalating his abuse.
One staff member recounted the ordeal to the court: 'I tried to reason with him but it didn't work. He called us f****ts multiple times and told us to f**k off.' The crew member added that Moorehouse issued a direct threat, stating 'there will be a fight if he does not get his sandwich now.'
Compromised Safety and Delayed Landing
The situation intensified when the seat-belt signs illuminated for landing. Ignoring safety protocols, Moorehouse stood up and declared, 'I've been waiting for 30 minutes, I'm going to take a shit,' before proceeding to lock himself in the lavatory.
Cabin crew pleaded with him to return to his seat, but he refused. This act of defiance forced the aircraft into a holding pattern, delaying the landing for several minutes and compromising the safety of everyone on board.
Moorehouse later defended his actions in court, claiming he needed the bathroom due to bowel problems and stating, 'I couldn't poop on the floor.' He also alleged he was discriminated against by cabin crew for being a Traveller.
Court's Verdict and a Pattern of Air Rage
Moorehouse was found guilty of threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour on an aircraft. The judge imposed a three-month suspended sentence and ordered him to pay a €1,500 fine. While he admitted to insulting a flight attendant, he denied making any threats.
This case emerges amidst growing concern over unruly passenger behaviour. In a separate incident detailed to the court, an Air Canada passenger, Akbar Aghgaleh, is facing jail time for allegedly squaring up to a flight attendant and hurling racial abuse after being refused a cup of coffee on a flight from Montreal to London Heathrow last August.
Ryanair has been approached for comment regarding the Moorehouse incident.
