Family facing jail after downing pink gin and starting 20-man easyJet riot

A British charity boss and her daughter are facing up to two years in prison after starting a drunken mid-air "riot" on a flight to Morocco.

Karin Parkes, 56, and former civil servant Carrie Parkes, 34, triggered a "full-on fight" involving up to 20 men at 30,000 feet after they and friends were told off by cabin crew for swearing while intoxicated on wine and duty free pink gin.

Terrified staff on the Easyjet flight, which had 186 passengers on board, had tried to calm the two women and asked them to behave.

But mother-of-two Carrie stuck her fingers in her ears and said: "I'm not listening to that vile c***."

A cabin manager also urged the group to refrain from using bad language but was told: "You can f*** off you c***. Do what the f*** you want I'm not a***d. We will see what happens."

  • RAF scrambles Typhoon jets to intercept Russian bomber over Scotland

  • Drunk mum found slumped on flight while in charge of her four kids after swigging vodka

The captain of the aircraft which was flying from Manchester to the Moroccan city of Agadir had to divert to Casablanca after staff told him the rear of the cabin where the group were sitting was "out of control."

During the mayhem Karin Parkes, who is a manager for a charitable organisation which provides home care for the disabled, swung a punch at a steward.

Carrie had to be forcibly held down by other passengers after she demanded to use the toilet when the plane was coming into land.

A virtually empty one litre bottle of Gordon's Pink Gin and empty bottles of vodka were found near their seats.

The pair, both from Blackpool, Lancs, were later detained by police after being booed off of the plane by other passengers.

At Manchester magistrates court both women were convicted of being drunk on aircraft after a district judge condemned them over the "horrific and chaotic" atmosphere on the plane.

Karin was also convicted of assault and a third passenger Jonathan Thomas, 36, also from Blackpool, was convicted of being drunk on an aircraft.


All were granted unconditional bail but will be sentenced next month by a crown court judge who will have powers to impose tougher sentences.

The trio who denied wrongdoing have since been banned from Easyjet flights for ten years.

The incident on January 19 last year after flight EZ1905 took off at 3.30pm from Terminal One, Manchester.

Whilst waiting to board the daughter bought the pink gin in a duty free store before she and her mother began consuming it at the rear of the aircraft.

They started talking animatedly to a party of 14 men who were thought to be heading out on a "boys-only" holiday.

Cabin manager Liam Dickson warned the group about their language around an hour into the flight.

She was then abused by the daughter, whose mother tried to calm her down.

However the group became even rowdier as the flight progressed – and Carrie once again hurled abuse Mr Dickson, telling him "Here's that vile c*** again".

He added: "Then the mother started coming towards me she was staggering towards me and again I could smell alcohol.


  • Heathrow Airport planes barred from taking off after aircraft blocks runway

"Her words were 'you've got no duty of care for my daughter' and she did actually put her fists up towards me.

"There were lads at this point who had jumped out of their seats and I didn't know if they were coming to protect or attack us.

"I stepped back and there was quite a big passenger who had grabbed Karin by her arms and dragged her to the back galley.

"There was a lot of fists flying around with other passengers.

"It was as if there was a riot happening at the back of the cabin and there were at least 15-20 men stood up at this point and I was very concerned."

Mr Dickson rushed to the flight deck and asked for the plane to be diverted, although the captain asked him to keep it under control.

He added: "She was out of control and the crew members were trying to advise her to get back in her seat. She was up in the aisle as we were landing.

"It was a very hard situation to deal with. They were out of control, threatening and abusive and they were all intoxicated."

Air stewardess Beth Halliwell added: "I have never been so scared in my life at work it was very intimidating it was just not a nice experience at all."

Carrie claimed she had been drinking wine to calm herself when she she realised she did not have her medication for bipolar disorder.

She told the hearing: "I have got a whole plane of passengers, 186 people, booing me and one of my triggers is rejection.

"I must have just lost it on that plane. I can't remember anything until coming round in a third world hospital with my mum crying.

"I apologise for my behaviour but there is triggers and things I am now getting help for. I felt ashamed and humiliated."

Karin accused cabin crew of "exaggerating" the incident and told the hearing: "I stood up in her defence because she's a vulnerable adult and I'm her mother. She didn't say the c-word – I would be absolutely disgusted and Carrie knows that she wouldn't use that word in front of me."

However, District Judge John Temperley found the pair guilty.

Source: Read Full Article