Drunk man gets 5 weeks’ jail for harassing passengers & cabin crew on Scoot flight
A man was sentenced to five weeks’ jail on Wednesday (14 May) for harassing passengers and cabin crew on a Scoot flight from Sydney to Singapore.
The man, Kolathu James Leo, pleaded guilty to boarding the plane while intoxicated, jeopardising safety and order on the flight.
Two other charges — including grabbing a crew member’s wrist and threatening to kill him — were considered during sentencing.
Drunk Scoot passenger was mourning his uncle’s death
The 42-year-old man, who resided in Canberra, had planned on travelling to India via Singapore shortly after receiving news of his uncle’s passing.
Before boarding the Scoot flight, Kolathu reportedly downed at least four shots of whiskey before making his way to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, reports Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
Source: Cavan Images on Canva. For illustration purposes only
Naturally, Kolathu was in an intoxicated state when he boarded the flight.
Harassed passengers & refused to behave
Shortly after take-off, Kolathu got up from his seat despite the seatbelt sign being on.
He complied when crew members asked him to sit back down, but soon started shouting at nearby passengers and even pushed one of them repeatedly.
Source: Scoot. For illustration purposes only
Crew members later handed Kolathu a warning letter from the pilot, reminding him to be mindful of his behaviour.
However, the 42-year-old proceeded to crumple the note, detach a seat pocket, and slam the seat in front of him.
Had to be physically restrained to seat
A crew member noticed Kolathu’s erratic behaviour and reported it to the pilot, who ordered the accused to be restrained using a physical restraint device.
The three passengers affected by the harassment were moved to other seats.
Upon landing at Changi Airport, Kolathu was arrested. A blood test sample from him was found to have contained 96mg of ethanol per 100ml of blood.
Source: mediaphotos on Canva, for illustration purposes only
A case of ‘air rage’
During sentencing, District Judge Janet Wong called the incident a clear case of “air rage”, stating that high standards of safety must be maintained during air travel.
She added that airline staff are especially vulnerable, as it is challenging to get immediate assistance from law enforcement officers mid-flight.
Kolathu’s sentence of five weeks’ jail was higher than what the prosecution and defence asked for — four weeks’ and three weeks’ jail, respectively.
Also read: Drunk man allegedly threatens to kill cabin crew on S’pore-bound plane, faces up to 10 years in jail
Drunk man allegedly threatens to kill cabin crew on S’pore-bound plane, faces up to 10 years in jail
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Featured image adapted from Changi Airport. Image is for illustration purposes only.
