Drunk passenger who attacked airline cabin crew fined

  • Published
Rachel StreetImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Rachel Street was handed a £10,000 fine at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court

A passenger on a Virgin Atlantic flight who shouted "I hope this plane crashes" during a drunken attack has been fined.

Rachel Street, from south London, "lashed out" at cabin crew and pulled one woman's hair while travelling from Barbados to Heathrow on 5 January.

The 41-year-old previously admitted various offences, including behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.

She was fined £10,000 at Uxbridge Magistrates Court and given a 12-week jail term, suspended for 18 months.

The court heard Street had been moved from first class to the economy area of the plane after being "loud and abusive", but had barged back in while "lashing out" at a flight attendant.

She was heard shouting "I hope this plane crashes and we all die", and said she wanted to "punch" members of the crew.

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Street was travelling on a Virgin Atlantic plane from Barbados to Heathrow (library image)

The self-employed production assistant had previously admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, entering an aircraft while drunk, failing to obey the pilot's command to remain in her seat, and assaulting a female member of staff.

District Judge Deborah Wright said Street's conduct had been "utterly appalling" and she had behaved "with no understanding of the fears passed on to passengers and staff".

She added: "You were drunk, you were 40,000 ft above the ground, and it came at the end of an appalling litany of abuse."

In a victim impact statement read out in court, one crew member said they found the attack "very distressing" and they were "shocked we had to hold her down".

Jude Lanchin, defending Street, said she was "horrified at her own behaviour" and had been "very disturbed by the effective blackout and behaviour she demonstrated".

As well as being fined and given a suspended prison sentence, she was also made the subject of a 21:00 to 07:00 curfew for six months and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation.

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