Haden Pentecost, 41 was found naked in an onboard toilet while under the influence of drugs – and had to be stood down by his manager after failing to help with any pre-flight safety checks
A British Airways flight attendant who was found high on drugs and completely naked in onboard a flight has been spared jail.
Haden Pentecost, 41, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, after he admitted performing an aviation function while impaired by drugs. He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £150 in costs. Isleworth Crown Court heard on Friday how Pentecost was due to work on a flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow in May.
Before the journey, he told colleagues he was suffering stomach cramps but insisted he was fit for duty. Cabin manager colleagues later found him at the bottom of the stairs, described as dishevelled, pale, sweaty and erratic.
He locked himself in a bathroom and, when he emerged, was “completely naked and oblivious” to the fact he had no clothes on, prosecutor Natasha Lake said. A colleague struggled to make sense of what he was saying before dressing him and moving him into a free seat.
The captain was alerted and, after speaking with Pentecost, called for medical professionals on board. He was found to have dilated pupils, was unable to answer what year it was or who the US president was, and drank 15 to 20 bottles of water during the flight, the court was told.
His behaviour caused a “huge distraction” for the captain and crew, though no passengers were aware of his condition. The flight landed at Heathrow where paramedics met the aircraft and took Pentecost to Hillingdon Hospital.
A blood sample later showed he had methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system, and he was later dismissed from his job. Ms Lake said the offence carried a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, but there were no sentencing guidelines to assist because the case was “quite unique”.
She told the court Pentecost had failed to complete pre-flight safety checks and that his colleagues had to manage the 10-and-a-half-hour flight without his assistance.
Jon Harrison, defending, said Pentecost had lost the career he “very much valued” and came before the court “a man without the profession that he sought to develop after Covid”. He told the court Pentecost had ingested drugs in San Francisco to “enhance a sexual experience” – something he had done before – but questioned whether the strength of the substance was different on this occasion.
Mr Harrison added: “Had he not turned up for that flight he would not have been convicted of this offence. He won’t ever commit this offence again because of the loss of his job.” Pentecost, of Basingstoke, was said to be “terrified” at the prospect of losing his liberty and “mortified” at the shame he had brought on himself.
Sentencing, Judge Hannah Duncan told him: “You don’t need me to tell you just how serious this offence was. Cabin crew perform an essential safety role.
“They are there for the comfort of passengers but if anything goes wrong it is up to you to make sure they are safe. It would have been frightening for any passengers to see you in that position. You really let yourself down.
“You are extremely ashamed, you are mortified, you are teetotal and you will never take drugs again. You have comprehensively addressed the behaviour that led to you being in the dock today.”
The judge said there was a “great deal of mitigation” in his case, including his previous good character and immediate guilty plea, and that his behaviour had not been aggressive or confrontational.
She reduced his sentence from 12 months to nine due to mitigation, and then to six months for his early plea, before suspending it for 12 months. Pentecost was also ordered to carry out his unpaid work within the next year.