A drunk teenager who threatened to shoot cabin crew on a passenger jet flight from Alicante-Elche – after being told to wear a face mask – has been jailed.
Kieran Harris, 19, terrified two female flight attendants as he threatened to kill them, and demanded sexual favours.
The incident took place in May on a easyJet flight from Alicante to Manchester, with 177 passengers on board.
Harris, from Garston, Liverpool, flying alone and drinking vodka, had to be asked four times to wear a mask – to protect everyone from COVID-19.
After swearing at a cabin manager, he told flight attendant Caroline Callaghan: “I know people – I’m not scared of the police.”
Attendant, Dorota Kazimierczak, asked him to stay in his seat and wear a seatbelt during the plane’s descent, and Harris demanded that she perform oral sex on him.
He then shouted racist abuse and threatened to shoot her and her boyfriend.
Miss Callaghan told officers: “During my four years of flying, I have never dealt with a situation like this.
“He was aggressive to many people and uncontrollable and I felt scared. I was just glad for the assistance of the captain and police.
”The situation was distressing and incredibly difficult to deal with. He became intoxicated very quickly. I’m not sure whether this was because of alcohol or drugs, because he was foaming at the mouth.”
When the crew tried to contact police, Harris yelled: “Are you calling the police on me? I’ve killed people, and I will kill you as well.”
Harris had to be escorted from the plane.
Kazimierczak said: “I feared for my personal safety but had to remain a professional for the benefit of those on the flight.
“There were elderly passengers and some children upset by his behaviour.”
Harris had no previous convictions. At Manchester magistrates court, Harris pleaded guilty to be being drunk on an aircraft and using threatening behaviour.
His lawyer Georgia Maudsley said in mitigation that Harris was drinking to calm anxiety.
“He is still a teenager and is immature, and accepts on that day, he acted extremely immaturely.
“Clearly, there was distress caused to the cabin crew and passengers and he is ashamed by his own behaviour.”
Harris was jailed for 12 weeks and ordered to pay Miss Kazimierczak £250 compensation.
Sentencing judges told Harris: “Unfortunately, this crosses the custody threshold. There was serious violence feared and aircraft staff were affected in the course of their duties.
“They were trying to deal with that situation in a worldwide pandemic where others are affected.”
Shameful behaviour! 19 is hardly immature.