Terror police called to drunk Jet2 passenger who downed five pints at Leeds Bradford Airport
Leeds Crown Court heard John Brown, 49, was a "nervous flyer" and drank five pints at the airport in Yeadon while waiting to board a Jet 2 flight to Alicante in Spain.
The court heard Brown , of Fremantle Place, Wykebeck, east Leeds, staggered down the aircraft aisle before sitting in a seat reserved for a passenger with a wheelchair.
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Hide AdProsecutor, Louise Pryke, said Brown shouted and swore at his partner when she asked him to move.
Ms Pryke said cabin crew decide not to allow Brown to fly and called police, who escorted him from the plane at 4.30pm on July 1.
Miss Pryke said as he was being taken off, Brown tried to spit at other passengers and shouted "You have all lost your jobs now" at the crew.
Police handcuffed Brown and took him into the terminal.
The court heard he threatened to punch a female police officer in the face and continued to be aggressive while shouting and swearing.
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Hide AdMiss Pryke said police from the counter terrorism unit at the airport had to help and Brown tried to headbutt one of the officers.
Brown, who admitted entering an aircraft while drunk, has 16 previous convictions for 41 offences including two charges of assaulting a police officer.
Brown, who was not represented by a lawyer, spoke on his own behalf and told the court: "I was drunk on the plane. I sat in the wrong seat. I didn't try and spit at anybody. I was shouting and swearing.
Brown added: "I'm embarrassed."
A probation service spokeswoman, said she had spoken to Brown and told the court: "He did accept his behaviour on the aircraft, but he doesn't feel it was as bad as it was made out to be. That's possibly due to the amount of alcohol he had drunk at the time.
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Hide Ad"He was very focused on himself, that he lost the holiday he and his partner were due to go on.
"Clearly. he was intoxicated on the flight. I understand he had been drinking from arriving at the airport. He did say he had five pints and did say he was in control of himself.
"He did place himself at a five out of ten on a level of intoxication.
The spokeswoman added: "He said he only drank because he is a nervous flyer."
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Hide AdJailing Brown for six months, Judge James Spencer QC told him: "There is absolutely no excuse for behaviour like that. Such arrogance and offending language to others and violence
towards the authorities when they were doing their job because you had far too much to drink."