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Daniel Hendry, 24, was flying from Tenerife to Manchester on 29 January when he refused to comply with the airline’s mandatory face mask policy and subsequently became violent.
Hendry shouted at cabin crew: “F*** off, I’m going to punch you, going to smash your head in,” Manchester Magistrates Court heard, reports the Manchester Evening News.
He then headbutted a male flight attendant before “stroking” the arm of a female member of cabin crew and trying to hug her, the court heard.
It was alleged that Hendry had drunk three quarters of a bottle of vodka prior to the flight.
In response to his violent behaviour, the pilot tried to divert the flight but was unsuccessful due to the coronavirus pandemic meaning many airports were not operating as usual.
Instead, the court heard that the pilot “accelerated” the plane and touched down 25 minutes ahead of schedule.
The flight was met by police on arrival and Hendry was arrested. The moment was caught on camera by another passenger; video shows his fellow travellers clapping as Hendry is restrained and removed from the aircraft.
The court heard that Hendry also “caused damage to the police van by banging his head against the door and windows” and that not only did he “put himself at risk”, he “put the plane full of people at risk”.
“He was screaming and shouting at everybody. Most people on the flight were old people,” another passenger, Brian Yim, told The Manchester Evening News.
“I wasn’t sat next to him but the passengers next to him were quite troubled.”
He added: “He was being verbally aggressive to passengers and physically aggressive to cabin crew.”
A Ryanair spokesperson told The Independent: “The crew of this flight from Tenerife to Manchester (29 Jan) requested police assistance upon arrival after a passenger became disruptive inflight. The aircraft landed normally, and police removed the individual at Manchester airport. This is now a matter for local police.”
Hendry plead guilty to charges of entering an aircraft when in drink, criminal damage and assault, and was “remorseful”, according to his defence solicitor, Rebecca Wrack.
“He falls on his sword and is remorseful. Unfortunately he has little memory of what took place on that plane,” she told the court.
Hendry will be sentenced on 1 March at Minshull Street Crown Court.
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