Jet2 flight passengers and crew in 'fear' as drunken woman launches sweary tirade at 35,000 feet

A disruptive plane passenger caused fear and upset on a flight from Spain to Newcastle, shouting and swearing at 35,000 feet.

April Wilson was said to have been visibly distressed when she got on the Jet2 plane in Alicante with 187 other passengers and crew members. Despite efforts to soothe her, Wilson continued her tirade of shouting and swearing, targeting two female cabin crew members in particular.

The 58-year-old from Front Street, Houghton-le-Spring, has now received a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court. The court was told that upon boarding the flight, which departed for Newcastle Airport at 11.25am on November 19 last year, the cabin crew noticed she seemed upset and inquired about her wellbeing. The court heard It appeared her anger was mainly directed at an individual presumed to be her partner.

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Throughout the journey, several passengers lodged complaints about her conduct, claiming she was intoxicated and persistently used foul language. A staff member overheard her repeatedly uttering "f***" and despite being asked to refrain, she continued, reports Chronicle Live.

After one cabin crew member walked away, Wilson, slurring her speech, remarked: "f*** her" and when admonished once more for her language, retorted: "What the f*** are you going to do you silly little cow".

The flight manager attempted to soothe her, and Wilson pointed out someone, presumably her partner, accusing him of taunting her. Visibly distressed, she exclaimed: "You don't f****** understand, I need a hug" and tried to embrace the flight manager. Despite being offered a coffee by the manager, Wilson continued to use profanity. As the plane was preparing to land in Newcastle, she unbuckled her seatbelt and attempted to leave her seat.

The court was informed that several passengers lodged complaints about her behaviour, and two who were seated near her were relocated early into the flight. Upon disembarking at Newcastle Airport, Wilson was taken into custody. She admitted to consuming vodka the previous night and two small bottles of wine during the flight.

Prosecutor Mark Atkins stated: "She said her partner was taunting her about her looks and intelligence and she shouted and swore in return and shouted and swore when cabin crew told her to calm down. She appeared remorseful."

The initial flight attendant who was subjected to Wilson's verbal abuse expressed in a victim impact statement that she was "shaken up" by the incident. She further added: "I was concerned her behaviour would escalate and I felt intimidated about what was going to happen next. There were 188 passengers on board, of all ages, and they were subjected to her behaviour. Behaviour like this on aircraft is becoming more and more frequent."

The flight manager expressed her concerns, stating: "This is becoming a huge problem due to people using alcohol and drugs." She described the situation as intimidating, especially at 35,000 feet in an enclosed space, and admitted: "I thought she was going to assault me. I was concerned for the other passengers, particularly those around her. She was clearly very intoxicated."

Wilson, with no prior convictions, admitted to being drunk on an aircraft and received a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months. Judge Gavin Doig addressed Wilson in court, saying: "You were heard swearing repeatedly, shouting swear words. When asked to stop doing so by cabin staff you were abusive to those members of cabin staff. You tried to assault the person in front of you, which appeared to have been your partner, with whom you were primarily angry at the time. Your actions also caused fear and upset to cabin staff and other passengers."

"You were extremely upset, not just being gratuitously offensive. There were clearly other issues troubling you." The court was informed that Wilson was seeking help for her alcohol problems. Katie Spence, defending, commented: "This was entirely out of character for her. Unfortunately the people who felt her wrath were the flight attendants who didn't deserve this to be treated as they were. She's horrified at her behaviour and has learned her lesson."

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