A Virgin Atlantic flight attendant has pleaded guilty to being under the influence of alcohol while preparing for duty, after crashing her car and then attempting to board a flight to Barbados with more than four times the legal alcohol limit.
Incident at Heathrow
Kathryn Scott, 45, was described as 'drowsy' when police officers approached her on the Virgin Atlantic aircraft at Heathrow Airport on June 12 last year. She had earlier been involved in a traffic collision at a roundabout while driving to work.
Scott had consumed two glasses of wine the night before, but her lawyer argued that a medical condition affecting alcohol metabolism was responsible for her high blood alcohol level.
Blood test results
After her arrest, a blood sample was sent to a laboratory and returned a reading of 91mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which is four and a half times the legal limit of 20mg for aviation personnel.
Scott claimed she had only drunk two glasses of wine and has a rare condition that affects how alcohol is broken down in the body.
Court appearance
At Ealing Magistrates' Court, the mother-of-two appeared in a black jacket over a red top and shed a tear as she entered the dock. She admitted to performing an activity auxiliary to an aviation function while under the influence of alcohol.
Prosecutor John Theron stated: 'The defendant was driving to Heathrow Airport and she was to be a crew member on a flight to Barbados. She was involved in a traffic collision at a roundabout.'
After the crash, Scott was driven to Heathrow by a member of the public and proceeded through security. She was assisting passengers boarding the flight when police officers spoke to her on the plane. She appeared drowsy and was breathalysed.
Defence argument
Defence lawyer Nimra Ashraf explained that Scott suffers from hemochromatosis, a condition causing iron overload, which impacts how alcohol is metabolised. She stated that Scott had only consumed two glasses of wine the night before and had no reason to believe she would be over the legal limit. She added that the traffic collision was not due to impairment and that Scott has since stopped drinking entirely.
Sentencing
Judge Andrew Rothery remarked: 'Whilst you have pleaded guilty to the offence, the reality is not only you had an accident, you boarded an aircraft as cabin crew. You would have been aware you were feeling drowsy and uncomfortable. It is a fact that you boarded the aircraft [and] that put passengers at risk.'
He noted that Scott had since sought medication for her condition and had stopped drinking. Scott, from Ottershaw, Surrey, was fined £108, along with £300 costs and a £45 victim surcharge, totalling £453. The sum will be paid in monthly instalments of £20 from her universal credit.
