Drunk passenger arrested on Leeds Bradford plane for 'demanding refund for late flight' is jailed

Officers were asked to board the aircraft as it waited at the departure gate at Leeds Bradford Airport because of concerns over Kieron Jordan’s behaviour. Leeds Crown Court heard this week that the 36-year-old was already intoxicated when he got onto the Turkey-bound flight on May 20, 2022.

He then pretended to be asleep and was still wearing sunglasses when officers found him slumped in his seat. They told him to get up but he was slurring and repeatedly claimed he did not understand, prosecutor Lydia Carroll told the court.

He was eventually removed and restrained and kept asking what he had done wrong. Jordan later denied a charge endangering an aircraft, and admitted the lesser charge of being drunk on an aircraft which was accepted.

He also admitted other offences, including racially-aggravated actual bodily harm from July 9, 2022 following an incident in the Royal Park pub in Burley. Having already been barred, he was asked to leave and began verbally abusing a bouncer, telling him to “go back to his own country”, before punching him, causing a laceration to his face.

Then on November 12 last year, he walked into the Eurofood convenience store on Alexandra Road, Hyde Park, and pulled a knife out on the terrified lone worker behind the counter. The panic alarm was pressed 17 times during the ordeal prompting the arrival of the manager.

He then lunged at the manager and kicked him, before damaging the door and then fleeing. He denied attempted robbery but part way through a trial he admitted an alternative of affray, possessing a bladed article and criminal damage, which was accepted by the Crown. The attempted robbery charge will lie on file.

Jordan, of Fieldhouse Drive, Moortown, has 32 previous convictions from 44 offences, including assaults and thefts. He has been held on remand since January. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds.

Mitigating, James Holding said Jordan had “used his time in custody well”, having undertaken courses and classes. He said: “As with many who come before the courts, the main causes were his drink and drug problems. They were committed while under the influence of one or the other, or both. He turns to drink and drugs as a coping mechanism.

"He recognises the impact all of his offending will have had on the complainants across all of these offences. He has asked though me to express his apologies to them, to the police and the courts.”

He said that Jordan struggled over the past year after his sister died and a murder investigation was launched.

Judge Anesh Pema jailed him for a combined total of 27 months – two months for the aircraft incident, five for the pub assault and 20 months for the shop affray.

He said: “You were drunk on that plane and causing trouble. You were verbally abusive and officers had to board the plane. You were found slumped in your seat, drunk. You were not cop-operative and clearly intoxicated. Your behaviour was reprehensible.”