A GROUP of boozed-up men were so drunk they don’t remember being kicked off a Swiss Air flight after they yelled “don’t f***ing care” at crew.
Contractors Jo Bendell, 31, Christopher Eglon, 48, Michael Marshall, 45 and Adam Dove, 35, all admitted being drunk on a Swiss Air flight from Heathrow to Zurich last month and have been fined a total of £3,500.
Appearing at Ealing Magistrates Court, Eglon said he had not “seen the lads” because of the coronavirus pandemic and they had all “met up in good spirits” at the London airport.
Bendell had lost half his boarding pass and told cabin crew “I don’t f***ing care” before the sozzled group had to be removed from the emergency exit seats over safety fears, the court heard.
Marshall sent a photo of one of the group to his wife, writing “this t** is going to get us kicked off the flight”.
The captain made the decision not to fly with them onboard and called the cops before diverting back to the get to boot the men off the flight.
The four men, who all work for Marriott Drilling, told police they “could not recollect the incident,” the court heard.
Prosecutor Izolda Gribbin said the four men had been drinking in the lounge before their flight on May 11.
Ms Gribbin said: "Members of staff noticed their behaviour was quite loud and disruptive.
“They were sitting in rows 11 and 12, and the cabin crew were concerned as those are emergency seats and passengers sitting there in case of emergencies are asked to assist.”
David Cusack, defending Marshall and Dove, said: "The defendants are both family men with family responsibilities.
"They work on drilling projects so they are going out to work in Switzerland, they have done this time and time before, they have taken hundreds of flights and there's never been any problem.
"That day, they did have too much to drink while waiting in the lounge.
"The captain is consulted and he says 'we are not having this' and goes back to the stand. There's no evasion of police, no difficulty whatsoever.
"They spent 18 hours in custody. There's never been any suggestion my clients were being abusive or swearing at anybody."
He told the court the defendants spent so long in custody because they were "intoxicated".
Ms Gribbins said: "They told police they could not recollect the incident."
Mr Cusack said Marshall and Dove were initially suspended but reinstated when their employer Marriott Drilling looked over the case file, the Daily Record reports.
Bendell and Eglon were sacked, the court heard, and Bendell has recently found new work but Eglon is currently on benefits.
Dove was fined a totalof £1,185, Marshall was fined £1,100, Bendell was fined £891 and Eglon fined £319.
Chair of the bench Nilla Varsani said: "You have been lucky in the fact we have dealt with this today. The reason we dealt with this today is largely the backlog in the crown court and, given what we have heard, it's unlikely you would have ended up in custody.
"It doesn't warrant the time it would take to send it to the crown court and for them to deal with this."
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