Drunk Jet2 passenger forced emergency landing after telling Leeds flight staff to 'prepare for World War III'
A drunk passenger high on cocaine threw punches at passengers which forced a flight out of Leeds Bradford to return to the airport minutes after take off.
Matthew Taylor refused to put his seatbelt back on, was picking arguments and making threats to other passengers and staff, telling them to “prepare for World War III” if the police boarded the grounded flight.
He later admitted to drinking more than six points before boarding and taking cocaine in the car on the way to the airport.
The 30-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court today where he admitted entering an aircraft while drunk, and was jailed.
The flight took off from Leeds Bradford Airport shortly after 6.30pm on August 18, bound for Alicante in Spain.
Prosecutor Corey Boothe said there were almost 150 passengers and crew onboard, including the elderly and families with young children.
But Taylor was flagged as a person of concern almost immediately after approaching one of the female flight attendants before take off and asking her to marry him.
Raised voices were heard moments after take off and Taylor could be seen arguing with other passengers.
At the first safe opportunity, the cabin crew approached him as he took off his seatbelt and refused to sit down, telling them: “You can’t tell me what to f****** do.”
He continued to argue and goad passengers, so staff made the pilot aware just eight minutes into the flight.
The decision was made to abort the journey and return to Leeds Bradford.
Meanwhile, he threw punches at passengers, including the male he was travelling with.
He then began punching and headbutting the back of the seat in front of him.
He called the female staff members “little b******” and made the comment about World War III.
Footage taken by a passenger was played to the court, showing Taylor in an orange T-shirt arguing with passengers in an aggressive manner.
Police boarded the flight on the Tarmac and he was led away to cheers by other passengers.
Mr Boothe said the incident caused a delay of almost two-and-a-half hours and cost Jet2 thousands of pounds.
Taylor, a father-of-two of Back Lane, Stainforth, Doncaster, has no previous convictions.
A probation report suggested that former warehouse worker Taylor was “regretful” and openly admitted drinking in the car on his way to the airport and taking cocaine.
He then drank six points of beer in the departure lounge.
It was heard he had a £200-a-week cocaine habit.
Mitigating, Daisy Wrigley said: “He does not try to deflect or excuse his behaviour. He knows how distressing that situation would have been for every single person on that flight.
“It’s entirely out of character, he has never been in trouble before. He is truly and deeply sorry.”
She said he had been unemployed but had lined up a job at Lidl.
Judge Penelope Belcher said it “must have been terrifying” for all those onboard and said only immediate custody was appropriate, so jailed Taylor for 10 months.
He was also been given a ban from flying Jet2 the day after the incident.
In a statement shared with the Yorkshire Evening Post, a Jet2 spokesperson said: "We can confirm that a disruptive passenger has received a lifetime flying ban with us, following their appalling behaviour which led to flight LS491 from Leeds Bradford to Alicante having to return to Leeds Bradford so that police could offload them.
“A second passenger has also received a six-month flying ban with us, following disruptive behaviour upon landing.