'I paid £600, I'm getting on this plane': Drunken passenger jailed over Leeds Bradford Airport fracas

Fifty-five-year-old Glynn Bailey had downed pints of cider prior to boarding his Ryanair flight to Spain, but then became aggressive and violent when staff thought he was too drunk to fly, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Having been alerted to his behaviour at around 6.20pm on July 13, security at the gate stopped Bailey and noticed his eyes were glazed and he smelt of booze.

The worker told him was not boarding the flight for his own safety and that of the 92 other passengers heading for Girona in north-east Spain.

Bailey then told the worker he had paid £600 and was getting on the flight, and would resort to violence if necessary, prosecutor Marc Luxford said.

He then tried to grab the worker by his throat but only managed to grab his collar and fell over, before getting up and barging through to reach his seat on the aircraft.

Police then boarded the aircraft and told Bailey was coming with them, but he became verbally abusive, telling them to “f*ck off” as horrified witnesses, including children, looked on.

They were able to get handcuffs on him and remove him, but while outside the plane on the apron – the area between the terminal and the plane – he began struggling and kicked one officer in the back.

He later told officers he had drunk three pint bottles of Bulmers cider in the airport bar to help him cope with his fear of flying.

The court heard he has four convictions for eights offences, including obstructing a police officer.

He later admitted assaulting the worker and the officer, and attempting to enter an aircraft while drunk.

Mitigating, Mike Walsh said that Bailey was a recovering alcoholic but said there was no excuse for his behaviour.

He added: “After he calmed down he spent the journey to the police station crying and apologising.

"He was the author of his own misfortune.

"He is so mortified by his own actions, that since that day he has not consumed any alcohol whatsoever, and had sought out assistance to refrain from using it in future.

"There was no prospect of this flight leaving with this defendant on board so the level of danger caused by him was less than it might be.”

But Judge Robin Mairs dismissed the request to keep him out of jail and told Bailey: “The scourge of drunken passengers is prevalent at airports.

"Thankfully they were able to stop you before that plane took off.

"Your behaviour was witnessed by passengers and it was distressing and disturbing for children.

"You continued to be violent and struggled.

"It could have been much, much worse had the plane been in the air at the time.

"There is evidence of your remorse, but the only appropriate sentence here is immediate custody.

"Those who behave like at airports will go to prison.”

He jailed him for two months.