Mother, 39, who drunkenly abused Ryanair staff and passengers on flight home from Majorca is fined £400 after claiming cabin crew kept serving her booze despite being ‘clearly drunk’
- Emma Connell was drunk on a Ryanair flight from Palma to Manchester Airport
- The 39-year-old was allegedly abusive towards cabin crew and other passengers
- She claimed the alcohol reacted badly with some of her prescription medication
- The mother-of-two faced a jail sentence but was let off with a £400 fine instead
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A mother-of-two who was abusive towards cabin crew and passengers on a Ryanair flight has avoided being jailed after claiming staff kept serving her booze despite being ‘clearly drunk’.
Emma Connell was arrested by police at Manchester Airport after becoming heavily intoxicated on a flight from Palma in Majorca on September 8, this year.
The 39-year-old, who has a history of drink-related convictions, was taken into custody after flight FR3446 landed and was later charged with being drunk on an aircraft.
Connell later claimed that staff on the flight had continued to serve her alcohol miniatures even though she was ‘clearly drunk’, and the drinks had reacted badly with her anti-depression medication.
Despite her arrest, no statements had been taken from Ryanair staff or passengers on the plane to test her claims.
At Tameside Magistrates’ Court, Connell, from Ashton-under-Lyne, pleaded guilty to the offence and was given a £400 fine due to the lack of information provided as to what happened throughout the flight
Emma Cornell, pictured here outside Tameside Magistrates’ Court, was fined £400 for her behaviour on the flight
The mother-of-two, pictured, claimed staff on the plane continued to serve her drinks despite being ‘clearly drunk’
Emma Connell, pictured here outside Tameside Magistrates’ Court became drunk and abusive on a Ryanair flight on September 8, this year
Joseph Seale, prosecuting said: ‘On the 8th September 2022, police officers attended Manchester airport following a report that there had been a disturbance made by a passenger in a plane bound for Manchester.
‘The report stated that the defendant had been abusive to staff and passengers while on board the flight.
‘When the plane landed, the officers spoke to the crew and then escorted the defendant off the plane and arrested her. They noted that she was still heavily intoxicated at the time.
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‘She fully complied with the officers throughout. Although police were assisted with identifying the defendant on the plane, no other passengers, or Ryanair staff gave comment or statements for the investigation. ‘
The court heard Connell who is in receipt of benefits had three drink-related driving offences on her record and last May was convicted of failing to provide a specimen.
Defence lawyer Ian Owen said: ‘She gave an early plea and understands the seriousness of her actions.
‘This was simply a question of the defendant being drunk on a plane, it is worth noting that the Ryanair staff were seemingly fine to serve her with more miniatures while she was clearly drunk on the plane.
‘Evidence from Ryanair staff would have made the whole process a lot clearer as they would have had clearer evidence of what happened on board.
‘This omission is significant as entering or being on an aircraft when drunk can incur a maximum jail term of two years if deemed serious enough.
‘It is also worth noting that at the time she was taking mirtazapine, a strong anti-depressant sedative that when combined with alcohol can have some unwanted effects. This goes part of the way to explaining her behaviour on the flight.’
Connell was on a Ryanair flight (file image) to Manchester when she was arrested after the plane landed
Owen also told the court how Connell had made an effort to address her drinking problem with dramatic surgical treatment and had sought the advice of alcohol therapy groups.
‘One can only hope that the dramatic program of treatment makes a difference,’ he added.
‘We are all extremely mindful of the seriousness that this type of offence could pose. People are nervous as it is while in the air and they don’t need a drunken passenger making them more uncomfortable. Fortunately this case does not seem to have caused too much of a disruption to the flight.’
Connell was also ordered to pay £245 in costs and a surcharge.
Chairman of the bench David Harrison said: ‘Behaviour like this on an aircraft cannot be tolerated – you cannot put lives at risk this way.’
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