A holidaymaker flying back from Tenerife was so drunk and offensive her despairing partner twice moved seats and the captain even had to tell her off over the tannoy, a court heard.
Catherine Bellis, 44, hit the vodka even before boarding the three-and-a-half hour Ryanair flight to Liverpool John Lennon Airport from the holiday island.
She then downed a further two drinks from the onboard trolley. When she was warned not to drink any more, she resorted to swigging from a bottle of duty free vodka.
Bellis then flew into a rage, hitting both her own partner Christopher Kenny and cabin crew member Beata Haynes – then asking alarmed passengers ‘what (are) you looking at?’
The mother-of-two, of West Derby, Liverpool, today received a suspended sentence after admitting being drunk on an aircraft and two charges of assault by beating.
A more serious charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or passengers was dropped.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court the incident happened on November 26 last year on board a flight which was due to land at 3.20 pm.
The couple were sitting together but one of the cabin crew, Julie Pemberton, noticed Mr Kenny had his head in his hands.
Mr Jones said: ‘He indicated that he wished to move and said the defendant had been drinking vodka from the duty free bottle in her possession.’
The court heard Bellis was warned not to drink any more duty free booze and Mr Kenny was moved to a seat in the middle of the aircraft away from her.
Mr Jones said Beata Haynes, a very experienced member of the cabin crew, first noticed Bellis when she approached her asking for a can of coke while she was pushing the refreshment trolley.
Ms Haynes told her to sit down and wait and Bellis apologised and sat back down. After being served the coke Ms Haynes was alerted to the fact that she was pouring the vodka into it and she warned her not to do so, the court heard.
But 20 minutes later, Ms Haynes was again alerted by other passengers that Bellis was drinking the duty free booze.
Mr Jones said: ‘Matters escalated when she told (Bellis) again not to drink the vodka and asked her to hand the vodka over.
‘(The defendant) argued and would not agree to that. Ms Haynes said she would tell the captain if she did not but to no avail.’
The captain was told and put out a warning over the tannoy, reminding passengers they were not allowed to drink duty free on board and to obey the cabin crew’s instructions.
The other flight attendant, Ms Pemberton, spoke to the defendant who handed over the bottle but repeatedly asked for more alcohol, said Mr Jones.
The court heard Bellis then kept getting up looking for Mr Kenny, calling him a ‘wife beater’.
He was again moved to another seat and a couple of time Ms Pemberton had to put herself between the warring couple.
Mr Jones continued: ‘At one point, the defendant started shouting at Ms Haynes, words to the effect, ‘what the f…does she think she is’, because she refused to serve any more alcohol.
‘After the tannoy announcement she also called her a ’t…t’ and a ‘c…t’.’ Ms Pemberton saw Bellis punching her own palm as if threatening Ms Haynes.
The attendant then put her hand out and was struck by the defendant but without causing any injury.
The two crew members moved her away but she then saw her partner and struck him to the side of the head.
Ms Pemberton had to get between them and escort her back to her seat. Bellis shouted to other passengers ‘what are you staring at’ and Ms Pemberton had to stop other passengers getting involved.
Mr Jones said: ‘She described herself as babysitting the defendant for the 40 minutes left of the flight until the plane landed.
‘Ms Hayes says it was a very stressful situation and Ms Pemberton described Ms Haynes as being upset.
The captain had to tannoy (again) telling her (Bellis) to sit down in her seat.’ When the plane landed, waiting police officers arrested Bellis and ‘they noticed she was drunk, slurring her words and unsteady on her feet’.
‘She was interviewed and made full admissions,’ Mr Jones said. ‘She said she had drunk vodka prior to boarding, had another two on board and was then drinking out of the duty free bottle.
‘She apologised, was remorseful for her actions and recognised her behaviour was unacceptable especially on board a plane full of other people.’
Mr Jones pointed out that as the other passengers had nowhere to go it made them feel worried and scared. Callum Ross, defending, said Bellis has no previous convictions.
He told how she had worked in a local cafe for 13 years and references spoke of her being ‘hard working, kind and family orientated’.
She and Mr Kenny are still in a relationship and he was in the public gallery supporting her, he said.
Mr Ross added she has started having talking therapy and described her behaviour that day as ‘the worst decision of her life’.
Sentencing her to four months imprisonment suspended for 12 months, Judge Stuart Driver, KC, said that what she had done was “completely out of character” and she had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
He told her: ‘You showed immediate remorse and confessed straight away.’