Colin Smith from Hull is not the sort of fellow you want sitting next to you on a plane. Or anywhere near you.
The unruly Smith this week pleaded guilty to attacking a flight attendant on an easyJet flight from Manchester to Malta.
Smith told the court he was drunk after consuming over 3/4 of a bottle of duty free whisky.
He stood up in his seat when the seatbelt sign was on, and when approached by a female steward he lunged at her, grabbing her neck with both hands, the court was told.
In court, Smith "expressed remorse" for his behaviour.
The case was reported in the Manchester Evening News.
There is a real issue here for anyone who flies.
What should you do if you sat next to the likes of Smith, or someone like him drunkenly falls on you?
The court heard the flight attendant pushed him away in an effort to defend herself. He then lost his balance and fell on a row of passengers, who helped to restrain him.
The following week, Smith was arrested after his returning flight and admitted to the assault and being intoxicated on an aircraft.
Barrister Colette Renton, who defended Smith, said his memory of the incident was “fragmented” from being drunk at the time.
She said that his fear of flying is what led him to drink in excess.
Smith could face up to two years in jail when sentenced in the new year. But maybe people guilty of this type of offence should simply be banned from ever flying again.
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