A drunken offshore worker from Dundee caused chaos when he smoked a vape and abused easyJet cabin crew during a flight.
Kevin Devine downed drinks at an Italian airport and on board a flight to Edinburgh, before acting aggressively towards air stewards.
The oil and gas worker shouted and swore, refused to fasten his seatbelt when requested to and made a telephone call during the flight from Catania, Sicily to Edinburgh Airport.
He also repeatedly gesticulated and adopted an aggressive demeanour towards three members of the cabin crew while on board the easyJet aircraft on September 27 last year.
Shocked staff were forced to alert the police to Devine’s rowdy behaviour and after landing at the Scottish capital officers boarded the plane and arrested the drunk 52-year-old.
Devine pled guilty to three offences under The Air Navigation Order and Civil Aviation Act when his case called at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and sentence had been deferred.
Devine had been excused attendance at the hearing as he is out of the country for several months working offshore with the oilfield services company Saipem.
Sheriff Thomas Welsh agreed to deal with the matter in his absence and sentenced the North Sea quality control coordinator to pay a total fine of £1475.
The court heard Devine had been returning to Scotland and while waiting for his flight at Sicily’s Catania Airport telephoned his partner, who told him she was leaving him and did not want to see him on his return to Scotland.
He was said to have become upset and began drinking alcohol in the airport lounge before continuing to down drinks while travelling home onboard the easyJet flight.
He became aggressive towards cabin crew when they warned him to stop using his vape and not to make telephone calls during the flight.
Devine refused instructions to secure his seatbelt on take off and landing and shouted and swore at cabin crew members.
He pleaded guilty to charges of being drunk on board the flight and failing to obey commands issued by the pilot and cabin crew, refusing to secure his seatbelt, making a phone call and using a vape on board the aircraft.
He also admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and acting aggressively.
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