30 January 2024 , 11:50
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A man was booted off his own honeymoon flight for being drunk and telling the captain to 'f*** off', a court heard.
Christopher Thomson, 43, and his new wife were on their way to Santorini in Greece when he was spotted vaping on the plane before take-off from Manchester Airport. Despite being asked to stop, he continued, leading the captain to label him a 'safety risk'. When the captain tried to speak to him, Thomson told him to 'f*** off'.
The flight was cancelled due to the delay caused and Thomson was arrested. As he was led away in handcuffs, he shouted at his wife to film the incident and to 'get a lawyer'. He later received a suspended sentence after admitting to boarding an aircraft while drunk, Manchester Evening News reported.
Police greeted Thomson as he disembarked the plane, with him shouting for his partner to record the incident. Alistair Reid, mitigating, said: "Being intoxicated on a plane is not acceptable - he has accepted that." He added there was no distress caused to other passengers and that Thomson's swearing at the captain was out of 'exasperation' rather than 'aggression'.
Mr Reid explained that due to a delay, Thomson and his wife had spent 'some time' drinking. He said: "They were in good spirits and he has instinctively reached for his vape."
'I stopped drinking booze on dates and it made life much more exciting'
Sentencing him, Recorder Jennifer Cleeve highlighted the potential 'serious danger and health issues' his actions could have caused to other passengers. She noted the significant costs incurred by the airline due to the cancellation of the return flight and the crew being unable to work. She said: "I have no doubt you and your wife were upset after having ruined the honeymoon. You do appear to be remorseful and have said you do not intend to drink alcohol at an airport and nor vape on a plane again."
Thomson, from Parkland Close in Appleton, was given a 10-week suspended sentence and must do 180 hours of unpaid work. He also has to pay £510 in court costs.