Drunk man fined $2000 for groping and shoving trolley at flight attendant
A Wellington man has been fined $2,000 after groping a flight attendant and shoving a service trolley at her multiple times.
Christopher Campbell of Karori, Wellington was convicted for breaching Civil Aviation rules on Wednesday after the Wellington District Court determined that he behaved in a way that interfered with a flight crew member’s duties on a Virgin Australia flight.
The incident – which took place on July 9 last year on a trip from Brisbane to Wellington – began at boarding when Campbell, who had been drinking, initially refused to show his boarding pass.
During the flight safety briefing, he yelled, clapped his hands loudly and attempted to grab a flight attendant’s whistle. While dinner was served, Campbell was talking loudly, clapping his hands and pulling the seat in front of him.
A judge said when Campbell called a crew member over for assistance, he laughed and did not ask for anything but touched her bottom as she walked away.
The cabin crew supervisor gave Campbell a warning, leading him to apologise. Later, Campbell approached the attendant and tried to hug her, which she refused.
Towards the end of the flight, Campbell stood at the end of a service trolley where an attendant was collecting rubbish. He shoved the cart into the attendant about five times, hitting her in the stomach and pushing the trolley over her toes.
“This incident left the flight attendant shaken and in tears,” said Judge Jan Kelly, as the New Zealand Herald reported.
“She also suffered a sore stomach following the incident. She was extremely upset and was unable to continue with her duties.”
Campbell also refused to put on his seatbelt for landing until he was told that the plane would not land unless he complied.
“As a result of your disruptive behaviour, the captain was required to leave the flight deck at one stage to check the flight crew were coping,” Judge Kelly said.
According to a summary given to the court, Campbell told investigators from the Civil Aviation Authority that he did not remember some of the flight. The court was also told that Campbell had been drinking before and during the flight.
The 48-year-old man was fined $2,000 (AU$1,898) and ordered to pay court costs. While the maximum penalty for the infringement was a fine of $5,000 (AU$4,746), Campbell received the full discount for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.