A man travelling to Las Vegas for a stag weekend has been fined after admitting to being drunk and verbally abusing airline staff on a British Airways flight. Emmet Moynihan, 31, boarded the Heathrow to Las Vegas service on Aug 6 after drinking before the flight, Uxbridge Magistrates' Court heard.
Passenger reported 'smell of alcohol'
A passenger reported that he "smelled of alcohol" and appeared "clearly drunk". The court was told that, after learning the flight had been delayed, the Co Cork man attempted to use the toilet. When cabin crew instructed him to remain seated, he called the situation a "f****** joke" and "verbally abused staff".
Prosecutor Abigail Day told the court "a passenger had also noticed that he smelled of alcohol and was clearly drunk" during the confrontation with the flight crew. Ms Day said: "Passengers then began filming him with their telephone and he was lunging towards passengers' phones saying 'stop f***** recording me'."
Co-pilot involved in incident
She said the co-pilot eventually became involved in attempting to get Moynihan to take his seat. Moynihan's solicitor Paul Turnbull said his client had "got past everyone" in his intoxicated state, and was only up and about from his seat because "he wanted to use the toilet".
He stated: "The defendant was part of a group going to Las Vegas for a stag, there was an element of consumption in Cork and they had access to a lounge at Heathrow." Footage of the incident was shared online and racked up more than six million views, Mr Turnbull said.
Fine and surcharge imposed
Moynihan, of South Douglass Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to entering an aircraft when drunk and failing to obey the lawful commands of a pilot. He was instructed to pay a £2,224 fine, an £890 surcharge and £85 in costs. He travelled from Cork to attend Wednesday's hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.
In delivering the sentence, Magistrate Sandra Joseph remarked: "There is only one reason we were not going to send it to the crown court, and that is that the plane was still on the ground and therefore passengers could have been evacuated. However, had they been in the air this would be a completely different matter."
