Paragraph 6 reads: "He`d smuggled a bottle of vodka in a water bottle which he drank along with other drinks he ordered while washing down sleeping pills and anti-depressants before going beserk."

http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=89877&pt=n

MONDAY 30/06/2008 13:33:01

Canadian air rage passenger jailed for a year

A Canadian who was flying high on a cocktail of drink and drugs when he abused staff and passengers on a transatlantic flight, has been jailed for a year.

Judge Patrick Lynch QC told a weeping Michael Roy Shick from Vancouver that he was "one of the most hapless visitors to these shores that I have had to deal with".

The Antrim Crown Court judge also told the remorseful 40-year-old children`s entertainer that he was "however the author of your own misfortune" and because of his behaviour had since lost his home, good character and potentially his job.

Shick, who is to be deported back to Canada, admitted a total of six charges including three of assault, acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or persons therein, drunk while on an aircraft, and criminal damage to an aircraft seat.

Prosecution lawyer Tessa Kitson, said the Canadian from Harwood Street, Vancouver, was taken off a Zoom Airlines jet during a scheduled stopover in Belfast on March 11 2007, on the flight from Vancouver to Gatwick.

He`d smuggled a bottle of vodka in a water bottle which he drank along with other drinks he ordered while washing down sleeping pills and anti-depressants before going beserk.

He eventually had to be handcuffed in his seat and a blanket placed over his head to calm him down.

Ms Kitson said the eight hour flight was less than half-way through when Shick began swearing at other passengers in an aggressive manner and that "this was not a sporadic incident, but something that went on hours on end".

She added that at one stage airline staff feared that other passengers would take matters into their own hands and deal with Shick themselves.

However, when a stewardess tried to calm and restrain him, Shick spat into her face.

Defence lawyer Neil Moore said a "disgusted" Shick, who has mental health and alcohol problems, was "a time-bomb" who`d thought that by mixing drink and perscription drugs "he would be able to sleep and travel the eight hour flight".

He added that Shick was "totally disgusted" with himself and his behaviour during what was "a quite horrific incident" and one which the Canadian "genuinely regrets".

"The ramifications for him are immeseaurable as he has lost everything he has worked for over the years," said Mr Moore.