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Air rage smoker jailed for attack | Air rage smoker jailed for attack |
(41 minutes later) | |
A 53-year-old man who terrified fellow passengers on board a holiday flight and assaulted an air steward has been jailed for 12 months. | A 53-year-old man who terrified fellow passengers on board a holiday flight and assaulted an air steward has been jailed for 12 months. |
Stephen Robinson clambered over seats to hit his victim after being told to put out a cigarette on the Thomas Cook Turkey to Newcastle flight in March. | Stephen Robinson clambered over seats to hit his victim after being told to put out a cigarette on the Thomas Cook Turkey to Newcastle flight in March. |
At Newcastle Crown Court he admitted endangering the safety of the aircraft and causing actual bodily harm. | |
Robinson of Hope Town Lane, Darlington, forced the plane to be diverted. | Robinson of Hope Town Lane, Darlington, forced the plane to be diverted. |
You terrified the people who were about you Brian Forster QC | |
The hearing on Friday heard how Robinson clambered over other passengers in his row of seats. | The hearing on Friday heard how Robinson clambered over other passengers in his row of seats. |
In the melee that followed airline steward Philip Miles was hit in the face causing damage to eight of his teeth, the court heard. | |
The busy Boeing 757, from Antalya to Newcastle, was diverted to Frankfurt in Germany where Robinson was removed. | |
Recorder Brian Forster QC said: "You terrified the people who were about you and you made the life of the aircraft crew very difficult." | Recorder Brian Forster QC said: "You terrified the people who were about you and you made the life of the aircraft crew very difficult." |
Flying blacklist | |
In a report on the incident one passenger said: "I have never witnessed any behaviour like this before when I have flown and I hope I will never see it again." | |
Tim Parkin, prosecuting, said Robinson offered the guilty plea on the basis that he admitted endangering other passengers but not the aircraft. | |
The court heard how Robinson became aggressive after trying to use a House of Fraser store card to buy drinks. | |
Cabin crew needed the help of passengers to restrain Robinson after the attack and held him down before he could be handcuffed. | |
Kristian Mills, defending, said Robinson had no money and was forced to eat leftovers from canteens as he roamed around the German airport for two days. | |
He eventually asked a charity to fund his flight home as nobody in the UK was willing to act as a guarantor. | |
The court was told that the judge had no power to ban Robinson from flying again, but that he had been blacklisted by Thomas Cook. |