Air rage drunk gets suspended sentence
05.05.09
A man who claimed to be a loyalist UVF paramilitary during a drunken air rage incident on a Ryanair flight from Stansted to Belfast City Airport received a suspended jail sentence today.
William George Moffitt, 46, of Kilfennan, Londonderry, ignored cabin crew requests to calm down and also said that he was in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He was arrested when the plane touched down at Belfast City Airport in February, and pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening manner on an aircraft.
A prosecution lawyer told Belfast Magistrates Court that his behaviour forced the captain of a flight to radio ahead for police help after Mr Moffitt made comments about being in the RUC and the UVF. Crew members tried to get him to be quiet during the episode, but he refused.
When he was later interviewed by the police, an apologetic Mr Moffitt said he had been drinking heavily from early that day and could not remember anything about the flight. He admitted to being a binge drinker, but said that he has been attempting to curb his sessions.
District Judge Fiona Bagnall said: ‘Given the nature of the offence and the context in which it has occurred, undoubtedly that takes this behaviour something which passes the custody threshold.’ However, she acknowledged that Mr Moffitt admitted his guilt at the earliest opportunity, and had no record of similar behaviour. She imposed a 3 months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
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