By GB News (World News) | Created at 2025-01-24 12:33:03 | Updated at 2025-01-24 19:49:15
7 hours ago
A father was dragged off a Jet2 flight at Manchester Airport after launching into a drunken tirade, shouting "f*** off you little rats" at police officers who removed him from the aircraft.
Lewis Howarth became aggressive when police attempted to escort him from the Turkey-bound plane, which had to return to Terminal 1 during taxiing.
As officers removed him, hundreds of passengers clapped and cheered while filming on their mobile phones.
When told he wouldn't be going on holiday, Howarth responded with a stream of expletives, calling officers "f******d***heads" and "rat b******s."
Lewis Howarth of Bolton became aggressive
PA/Facebook
"He started to resist and tried to fight or assault those escorting him," said Brody. "He was taken to the floor and handcuffed, and was described as thrashing his head towards the passengers and officers."
When being escorted from the aircraft, Howarth attempted to bite one officer and kicked out at another as staff brought a wheelchair to remove him.
Upon arrest, he admitted to drinking half a bottle of whisky before boarding the flight. When an officer confronted him about his behaviour, saying "there were so many kids on there," Howarth replied: "My kids are there... you are f*****g wrong."
The court heard that Howarth had previous convictions for being drunk and disorderly, affray, racially aggravated harassment, assaulting a police officer and failing to comply with court orders. The incident was captured on police bodycam footage, which was later shown to Howarth.
His defence lawyer, William Staunton, told the court Howarth had been "peer pressured" into drinking by a friend due to nervousness about flying. Staunton said his client was "profoundly ashamed and deeply remorseful," noting that Howarth part-owned a building company and had appeared on TV for DIY emergencies.
However, Recorder Geoffrey Wells dismissed the peer pressure defence as "nonsense" during sentencing.
"This behaviour was shocking. There is no excuse for being drunk when you go on an airplane. Your children saw you behaving like that. What kind of example is that? Wholly disgraceful," the judge said.
Howarth, of Mobberley Road, Bolton, was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, of which he will serve half before release on licence.
