Drunken Polish fork lift driver, 38, who downed an entire bottle of vodka to deal with his fear of flying before ‘reaching for the door’ on a Whizz Air flight to Birmingham is fined £300
- Andrzej Plawski was flying from Warsaw back to the UK when he got very drunk
- He refused to sit down during landing getting his bag and reaching for the door
- Plawski, of Walsall, was fined £300 and punched police car window after arrest
- Said he had a fear of flying and was stressed after visiting mother with cancer
Andrzej Plawski, 38 (pictured outside Birmingham Crown Court) flew from Warsaw to Birmingham with Whizz Air on June 5
A drunken Polish fork lift driver who downed an entire bottle of vodka during his flight back to the UK and ‘reached for the door’ in mid-air has been fined £300.
Andrzej Plawski, 38, flew from Warsaw to Birmingham with Whizz Air on June 5 this year.
But staff and passengers soon became alarmed when he started walking around the cabin, refusing to sit down during landing and trying to open the door.
He claimed drinking vodka was a way to settle his fear of flying and he was particularly stressed after visiting his mother with cancer in Poland.
But Sally Cairns, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court said: ‘About an hour into the flight the cabin manager noticed the defendant walking around.
‘He was unsteady on his feet and he smelt strongly of alcohol.
‘At that point the cabin manager warned the defendant about his conduct and asked him where he was getting his alcohol from, as drinks had not been served to him.
‘He did not reply to that question but became increasingly animated.
‘He was verbally and physically disruptive towards other passengers sat by him and was waving his arms about.’
Mis Cairns said due to safety concerns the defendant, who had been by an emergency exit, was moved to a different seat.
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But when the plane started its descent and the seat belt signs came on, Plawski got up and started to get his bag out of the over head locker.
‘He then proceeded to stand by the doorway of the plane despite requests from cabin staff to take his seat,’ Miss Cairns said.
She added that eventually the cabin manager had to physically move the defendant back to his seat and put the seat belt on him because he seemed incapable of doing it himself.
On landing the police were called and arrested Plawski who was shouting and who punched the window of a police car.
He claimed drinking vodka on the Whizz Air flight was a way to settle his fear of flying and he was particularly stressed after visiting his mother with cancer in Poland. File image used
When interviewed he admitted being drunk and ‘playing the cabin crew up.’
Nicholas Tatlow, defending, said: ‘He has a long standing fear of flying and on this occasion and in the past dealt with that fear by drinking to excess before the flight.’
He said in the past he had normally fallen asleep and that was his intention when he drank almost a full bottle of vodka at Warsaw airport and then polished the rest off when he was in aircraft’s lavatories.
Mr Tatlow said on this occasion he had been particularly stressed after going home to Poland to visit his mother who had cancer and that he was ashamed of his behaviour.
Plawski, of Walsall, who had previously admitted being drunk on an aircraft and using threatening words and behaviour, was fined £300 and ordered to pay £340 costs.
Recorder J Steel QC said he had caused ‘anxiety and distress’ to other passengers and that by going to the door he had caused alarm to the crew.
Plawski, of Walsall, West Midlands, was fined £300 at Birmingham Crown Court (pictured)
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