Lewis Howarth, from Bolton, has been jailed after he had to be dragged off a Jet2 flight from Manchester Airport to Turkey having abused cabin crew and police in a drunken rage
A man has been jailed after a drunken rampage on a flight resulted in him calling police “rats” as he was dragged off the plane.
The Jet2 flight to Turkey had begun taxiing to the runway at Manchester Airport when the police were called due to Lewis Howarth’s vile behaviour. As a result the plane was forced to return to Terminal 1. Howarth had been abusive to staff, repeatedly stood up during the safety briefing and had called one stewardess a ‘d***head’ when asked to fasten his seatbelt, a court heard.
Officers boarded the plane and spoke to the cabin crew, who explained Howarth was ‘highly intoxicated’ and swearing at other passengers. As they approached him, he stood up, initially appearing compliant but his behaviour quickly changed when they began walking him towards the exit, a sentencing at Manchester Crown Court was told yesterday (January 23).
“He started to resist and tried to fight or assault those escorting him,” prosecutor Saul Brody said. “He was taken to the floor and handcuffed, and was described as thrashing his head towards the passengers and officers. He was restrained on the floor of the aisle, and once outside he continued shouting abuse towards the officers.”
In bodycam footage shown to the court, hundreds of passengers were clapping and cheering, as some filmed on their mobile phones as Howarth was taken away. He could be heard swearing at the officers. At one stage, an officer tells him: “You were bang out of order, there were so many kids on there.
“My kids are there… you are f****** wrong,” Howarth slurred. “Nah f*** off you little rats. Do you [really think] I’m not going to go on holiday?” he continued. “No you’re not,” the officer replied. When he was told he was being arrested for being drunk on a plane he began laughing and said: “No I’m not, you little rat, you f****** d***heads, rat b******s!”
Staff from Jet2 then brought a wheelchair over to be used to escort Howarth. As he was being lifted into it he tried to bite one officer and kicked out at another. He was arrested, and was later shown the footage. He admitted he had drunk half a bottle of whisky before the flight, Mr Brody said, reported the Manchester Evening News.
Howarth was said to have previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly, affray, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting a police officer and failing to comply with court orders. His barrister, William Staunton, said Howarth was travelling with his family and his friend’s family, when his pal ‘peer pressured’ him into having a drink because he was nervous of flying.
He had been ‘chastised’ by his fiancé when she became aware of his state of intoxication, and that became the trigger for his behaviour, he said. “He had the hangover of all hangovers,” Mr Staunton said. “He is profoundly ashamed and deeply remorseful. He wants to say sorry and this won’t happen again.”
The court heard that Howarth, from Bolton, part-owned a building company and was a successful installer. He had also done various work for the community and appeared on TV for DIY emergencies. “He is an asset to the community,” Mr Staunton added.
Jailing Howarth for 14 weeks, Recorder Geoffrey Wells said: “This behaviour was shocking. There is no excuse for being drunk when you go on an airplane. Your children saw you behaving like that. What kind of example is that? Wholly disgraceful. ‘Peer pressure?’ What nonsense!”
He added it was a ‘complete lack of control’, a ‘complete lack of thought’ and a ‘complete abdication of your responsibility as a father and a member of the public’. Howarth will serve half of the term in prison before being released on licence.