A first class Virgin Atlantic passenger who attacked cabin crew and shouted “I hope this plane crashes and we all die” in a torrent of drunken abuse could face a jail sentence, a court has heard.
She grabbed hold of a female flight attendant’s hair during the sustained outburst, while demanding whisky, wine, cigarettes and sedatives.
At Ealing Magistrates Court yesterday, Street sobbed as details of the incident were laid out for the first time.
She pleaded guilty to assault, threatening the cabin crew, being drunk on the plane, and ignoring the directions of the pilot. She was warned she could be jailed.
Prosecutor Christelle McCracken said Street was behaving strangely when she boarded the flight and was told about social distancing arrangements onboard, replying: “Oh yeah, because they’ve all got Covid”.
Cabin crew started to get complaints from other passengers during the flight, and Street became abusive when she was told she would not be served any more alcohol.
“Ms Street was told to calm down as her behaviour was disturbing the other passengers”, said Ms McCracken.
Street was offered a bed to lie down in, and the pilot left the cockpit to try to calm her down.
“He told Ms Street she had been abusive to crew and other customers, this was a breach of safety rules and if her behaviour continued she would be met by police at Heathrow and arrested.
“Ms Street replied something along the lines of ‘bring it on’.”
Street was moved from first class to economy after she burst into the gallery area and “struck out” at one of the cabin crew. She was then restrained with handcuffs after grabbing another attendant by the hair.
Street was heard shouting “I might end up in jail tomorrow, I don’t f***ing care” and “I hope this plane f***ing crashes and we all die”, the court heard.
In an impact statement, one of the flight attendants told the court: “In 21 years working in the industry I have never experienced behaviour in this way, at 40,000 feet with nowhere to go.
“Situations like this highlight just how vulnerable we can be, genuinely in fear for our safety.”
The court heard Virgin staff had to flank the handcuffed Street during the seven-and-a-half hour flight to protect other passengers, and she was arrested when the plane landed at Heathrow.
The court heard how Street does not have previous convictions and is a “professional woman”.
Street, from Streatham, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, entering an aircraft while drunk, failing to obey the pilot’s command to remain in her seat and assaulting a female member of staff.
She was bailed until the next court appearance on April 26.
