Tui passenger handcuffed to plane seat after horror vodka-fuelled outburst mid-flight

Alexander Rogers was restrained at 36,000 feet by off-duty police officers after he boarded his flight from Cancun abused TUI airline staff in an "extremely serious" incident

A holidaymaker who downed shot after shot of vodka at an airport was handcuffed to his seat on a TUI flight while shouting "just f*** off, get f****d" to staff.

Alexander Rogers, 40, was restrained by two off-duty police officers after he drank six double shots of vodka and boarded a flight from Cancun, Mexico. He was restrained after launching into a foul-mouthed tirade at airline staffers in which he called one steward an "Arab b****", a court has heard.

Manchester Crown Court was told on Thursday, November 7 that Rogers, of Elizabeth Street in Castleton, Rochdale, that he was travelling home with his partner when he also became physical with staff. Prosecutors alleged he was heard yelling: "You can't f******' cuff me. Black Lives Matter. I am not a terrorist. I am not a danger to the plane. I am not a terrorist."

The Manchester Evening News (MEN) reported that Rogers shouted "Just f*** off. Get f*****" and pushed the shoulder of one member of the cabin crew. Prosecutor Keira Shaw said cabin crew became aware of an altercation between Rogers and another passenger in front, with the defendant alleged to have kicked the back of the other person's chair and pushed his feet through the chair gap.

He was also allegedly heard threatening to "knock him out" before staffers stepped in and moved him, screaming and shouting, to the back of the plane. Other passengers were moved so he could be seated in front of the galley on the plane's last row, but his removal didn't deter him.

A judge heard that children and families were among those forced to move from their seats, and called his behaviour "quite appalling" before finding he had made victims of the entire aircraft, as they were unable to go anywhere else at 36,000 feet. Ms Shaw alleged that "irate" Roberts was so disruptive that the captain considered turning the plane around.

But they were ultimately prevented from doing so by prevailing weather conditions, and the captain later said in a statement to the court that Rogers' behaviour was "physically abusive, obscene and lewd". He is said to have caused "disruption" and called some members of the cabin crew "s****" while shouting and swearing.

He was also allegedly heard demanding food and water. Off-duty police "offered their assistance" to staff before Rogers started acting out again. The court heard that he tried to block a member of the cabin crew's path and later pushed her, while his girlfriend made trips down the aeroplane aisle to check on him.

He was ultimately handcuffed after attempting to throw one of his shoes at the passengers in the front rows. He was arrested after the plane landed at Manchester, and later told officers he was a nervous flier, and couldn't remember much of the incident. Ms Shaw said he "accepted he was intoxicated" and that he would "not have acted in that matter" should he not "had so much alcohol".

Defending Rogers, Hugh Barton said the incident was "extremely serious and very unpleasant" and insisted his client was "genuinely remorseful and ashamed about what he did". He added: "He does not take issue with the account that has been given. He accepts fully his responsibility. This was completely and utterly out of character and he is deeply ashamed of how he acted."

Mr Barton added that his client had sought professional help and that he had boarded flights without issue on several previous occasions. Rogers pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court to being drunk onboard and aircraft; a racially or religiously-aggravated harassment charge and assault by beating. He was jailed for six months.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Lawton said Rogers behaved in a "quite appalling manner", adding: "The victims are everyone on that flight. No one has anywhere to go at 36,000ft. It is not a pub, where people can walk out. There are people who say they will not fly again when they see people like this."