A drunken man's sweary tirade at cabin crew saw over three hundred people's holidays 'ruined' as a Jet2 flight was cancelled. Jason Mulhern, 57, and his wife were due to fly to Dalaman, Turkey, from Manchester Airport on June 22, 2024, when she made a comment about a fellow passenger's accent.
Incident on board
As he joined in and began 'shouting', cabin staff spoke to them both, after which they were told they would not be served alcohol. Mulhern, of Trafford, then became 'aggressive, defensive and angry', Manchester Crown Court heard. He told staff they were 'out of order', that he and his wife were 'on their holidays' and wanted to 'booze up'. They were spoken to again, with a warning from the captain that they would be removed if they continued, after which they 'disgruntledly' accepted the situation.
However, as the plane began to taxi to the runway, Mulhern shouted at one of the crew that she was a 'f***ing Nazi and a c***'. He added that 'he was an adult and could do as he wished'. Betsy Hindle, prosecuting, said that the 20-year-old crew member felt so uncomfortable and intimidated that she moved seats whilst the plane was 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.
Flight cancelled
The court heard the captain was informed, who then made the decision to have Mulhern and his partner removed, to the applause from other passengers. As a result, the flight was abandoned and had to return to the stand, and the police were called. The court heard that the flight had already been delayed for two hours.
Mulhern was spoken to by officers on board, and was described as slurring his words and speaking over them. As they explained that he had committed an offence, he replied: "Oh f*** off", before telling them: "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 told the court.
Sentencing
The court heard that various statements were taken from passengers. One described Mulhern as 'obviously drunk', and being 'verbally abusive'. Another said they heard him say to staff: "I don't understand why I can't have a drink like a f***ing adult'. Ms Hindle said Jet2 have said they will be seeing a civil claim to the amount of £44,710, which includes costs of hotels and delays.
Lisa Judge, defending, urged the court to consider the case to be at the 'lowest level of culpability' due to the lack of violence. She accepted that Mulhern and his wife had been drinking prior to the flight, and said the flight had already been delayed. "This was the use of language only," she said. She described his character references showed him to be an important person in his team, who was 'responsible and mature'. She also said his previous service in the Armed Forces had left 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, was handed eight months imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He must also complete five days of rehabilitation activity requirements, a 120-day alcohol abstinence order and 300 hours unpaid work, and must pay £500 in court costs. The court heard he also has a lifelong ban from travelling with Jet2.
