A couple was asked to deboard a TUI flight at Manchester airport following a drunken brawl, which also affected a toddler travelling with them. A flight attendant, who was abused by the man, said the situation was the worst she had ever dealt with.
A couple was prosecuted and fined after they got involved in an ugly spat and manhandled their baby after a five-hour vodka binge onboard a Crete-bound plane at Manchester airport. According to a media report, the woman, identified as 27-year-old Beth Jones and her partner, 30-year-old Kieran Cunnah, also abused the airline staff.
The report stated the woman, a former nurse from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, dropped her baby and was kicked off from the TUI flight.
The child fell to the floor as Cunnah tried to pass Beth across the aisle. Beth then placed the child back on the seat but brushed past her as she tried to leave the plane, knocking her onto the floor for a second time, according to prosecutors.
The child did not suffer any serious injuries.
Meanwhile, Beth’s partner Cunnah also threw money at flight attendants and shouted: “How much do you want from us?
At the Tameside Magistrates’ court, Brian Wilson, one of the flight attendants who dealt with the couple, said, “It was the worst situation I’ve ever had to deal with, not just because they were drunk on a flight but more because they were so incapable of looking after their own child.”
“When I saw the child drop from the aisle seat, I went down to pick her up but then felt Cunnah’s hand on my shoulder. They were very unsteady on their feet, Cunnah even grabbed me to steady him at one point,” she said.
“When I went back to my office, I had to take five or ten minutes to gather myself after what I had just dealt with.”
THE COUPLE WAS DRUNK BEFORE BOARDING THE FLIGHT
Eileen Rodgers, who prosecuted the pair, said they had arrived at the airport early as there was a warning in place about security delays.
They passed through security quickly and entered the Terminal 2 departure lounge at Manchester airport, where they purchased a bottle of Ciroc vodka from the duty-free, she said.
“They had a meal and then went for drinks at the bar before departure. However, they then found their flight had been further delayed to 4.45 pm and this meant their consumption was prolonged. The pair decided to return to the departure lounge and finish off the bottle of Ciroc with mixers they had also bought from the duty-free,” she added.
A row kicked off after the cabin crew confronted the couple.
THE CHARGES
Meanwhile, the couple admitted to child neglect and being drunk on the aircraft.
Jones, who resigned from her job as a nurse where she worked for 10 years, was ordered to complete a 12-month community order, along with 20 rehabilitation days and 90 days of abstaining from alcohol.
She was also fined ã50 on top of ã195 costs.
Cunnah, who is currently serving a 32-month sentence for causing serious injury by dangerous driving in an unrelated case, had his spell extended by three months and was ordered to pay ã100 costs and a ã128 statutory charge.
Sekar Rao 
Nisham Ismail