Virgin Atlantic passenger admits drunken attack on airline staff at 40,000ft

A first-class airline passenger shouted “I hope this plane crashes” while carrying out a drunken attack on staff during a flight from Barbados to Heathrow, a court heard.

Rachel Street, 41, from south London, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards Virgin Atlantic staff while travelling back from the Caribbean island on January 5 this year.

Appearing at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon, she also pleaded guilty to entering an aircraft while drunk, failing to obey the pilot’s command to remain in her seat and assaulting a female member of staff.

Street was handed tissues after starting to cry while the charges were read out.

The court heard the incident began when Street was warned by flight staff she could be restrained after initially demonstrating “disruptive behaviour” in the first class section.

Magistrates were told Street was “not making sense” and told cabin crew “what do you think” when asked if she had been drinking, before swearing when they refused to give her more alcohol.

She was then moved into a bed and encouraged to go to sleep after acting “inappropriately” towards other passengers.

Prosecuting, Christelle McCracken said: “The defendant was heard making strange remarks about coming onto a male passenger because he ‘seemed lonely and miserable’.”

Street was also heard saying she would “jump” on another male passenger.

The prosecutor added that after being warned she could face arrest over her behaviour, Street replied “bring it on”.

She was then moved from first class to the economy area of the plane after being “loud and abusive”, before barging back in and “lashing out” at a female flight attendant.

Ms McCracken said: “She grabbed the flight attendant’s hair and continued acting abusively and swearing multiple times.”

Street declared: “I hope this plane crashes and we all die”, the court was told.

She was also heard saying that she wanted to “punch” members of the airline crew.

Street was restrained and was later arrested after the plane landed at Heathrow Airport.

Ms McCracken added that Street “had ignored that her behaviour caused passengers to be concerned over their safety”.

The court was told Virgin staff said they had “never experienced behaviour like this at 40,000 feet”.

In mitigation, magistrates were told that Street is a “professional woman” of previous good character who had no prior dealings with police.

She was granted bail and will next appear for sentencing at Ealing Magistrates’ Court on April 26.