Airplane Drunk's Whiskey & Vodka Race Rant

An airplane drunk, who racially abused fellow-pasengers on a long-haul flight after a heavy-drinking session in the airport, received a suspended prison sentence yesterday.

Michael Trevor Harding, 53, of Moreteyne Road, Marston Moretaine, Bedford drank heavily at the bar before leaving Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya and consumed almost two one litre bottles of vodka and whiskey he bought in duty free.

He pleaded guilty to being drunk on board the Kenya Airways Boeing 777 as it travelled to Heathrow Airport on December 14, last year and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended two years, fined £1,000 with £200 costs and ordered to complete 200 hours community service work.

Isleworth Crown Court heard Harding spent two weeks in Africa, meeting a lady he befriended on the internet, but was obviously already drunk when he boarded the aircraft and was moved twice due to his disruptive behaviour before take-off.

Security staff had to speak to him and when escorted to a third seat he fell into a woman sitting next to the window and she soon asked to be moved elsewhere.

Prosecutor Mr. Orlando Gibbons told the court Harding began abusing a black woman sitting in front of him when she reclined her seat.

He shouted: “You black b*******, go home. You've only come to get free money, you've ruined this country.”

Harding repeatedly pounded the seat, demanding the woman put it upright, but she replied: “I have paid for this seat. I want to relax and sleep.”

A UK national returning home, who was sitting across the isle, urged the defendant to calm down, but Harding called him a: “F***ing northerner.”

The defendant then turned his attention to the passenger sitting next to him, saying: “Go back to your own country, you black b*******. Go home to your own country.

“Don't touch me. You smell. You have illnesses and you are dirty.”

Another passenger of Asian appearance stood up and Harding shouted: “Go home Pakistanis. Muslims are bad and you only come to destroy my country.”

He was arrested after the plane landed and admitted having a drink problem, regularly consuming over twn cans of lager a day.

Harding claimed he was a nervous flyer and had run out of all of his regular medication during the holiday and took sleeping pills before boarding the plane.

He did not recall the flight or abusing any passengers, insisting he was not a racist and had a black girlfriend and black work colleagues.

Harding apologised for his behaviour, agreeing alcohol was to blame.