Boozy Plane Passenger Jailed

An Great Yarmouth plane passenger was jailed for six months on Friday for being drunk onboard a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain to Heathrow Airport.

However, Karl Foster, 37, of Kings Road, Gorleston remains at liberty after jumping bail and failing to appear for his trial.

He was convicted in his absence by an Isleworth Crown Court jury of being drunk on flight GF007 on February 2, last year and a warrant remains for his arrest.

Foster did appear via videolink from his local magistrates court at a pre-trial hearing, where his frustration with the case was obvious.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and asked: “How can I take action against the airline for failing in its duty of care?

“All because I had one pint in Bahrain? This is a waste of resources, money. It's stupid.

“Someone has a mental breakdown on a plane and they are charged. Is that it?

“This is absolutely ridiculous. I spent three weeks in India after someone was run over in front of me by my taxi driver.

“I was tired, I was fragile, I had not slept for three weeks. They filled me with vodka and I had a meltdown.”

When told the jury trial would go ahead Foster said to the judge: “Five times I asked for help and now I'm asked to shell out s***loads of money.

“How do I take the airline to court? Why am I being screwed over and my life turned upside down?”

He was also sentenced to an extra fourteen days to run consecutively to the six months for breaching his bail.