Manchester man fined after ‘drunkenly assaulting’ police officer who removed him from Ryanair flight

A passenger flying with Ryanair attacked a police officer after he was due to be thrown off his flight for being drunk.

Ashley Crutchley, 26, had downed a bottle of vodka on the Portugal-bound plane after becoming too ‘excited’ about going on his first holiday in more than a decade.

But Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how the captain of the plane became so concerned about Crutchley’s ‘disruptive’ behaviour he asked for police assistance before the flight took off. 

Paul Sumner, prosecuting, said the defendant had refused to leave the aircraft ‘because he was drunk’ and had argued with the crew. 

Officers boarded the flight to remove him from the plane, before Crutchley protested and ‘shunted’ a constable during the ensuing melee.

‘The officers could tell immediately that he was drunk,’ Mr Sumner added.

Crutchley, from Manchester, pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting an emergency worker.

He was today fined more than £300 after admitting to both offences. 

Ashley Crutchley, 26 and of Manchester, had downed a bottle of vodka on the Portugal-bound plane after becoming too ‘excited’ about going on his first holiday in more than a decade

Crutchley is pictured outside Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he was fined more than £300 after admitting being drunk on an aircraft and assaulting an emergency worker

The incident happened around 8pm on July 10, this year, on board a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Portugal. 

Before departing the flight Crutchley told one constable to ‘take his baggage’, the court heard.

They were handed a vodka bottle, which was a third empty, and realised Crutchley had bought it from duty free. 

He then ‘shunted’ one officer with his shoulder or his forearm as he was being led away. He also shouted: ‘Come on mate, come on mate.’

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how the captain of the Ryanair plane became so concerned about Crutchley’s ‘disruptive’ behaviour he asked for police assistance before the flight took off. [File image]

The officers managed to grab him and escort him off the plane and into a waiting police van.

They returned to remove Crutchley’s friend who ‘hadn’t been disruptive’, Mr Sumner said, as passengers broke out in a round of applause.

Rodrigues Landu, defending, said Crutchley was ‘truly apologetic’ about what happened and admits the alcohol ‘got the better of him’.

‘He was excited about being on holiday because he hadn’t been on holiday for 11 years,’ he said.

Mr Landu added that the assault was ‘an act of recklessness’ but ‘minor’, and the officer had not been injured.

Crutchley was handed a £320 fine, £85 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.