THIS is the dramatic moment a drunk Jet2 passenger was dragged off a flight heading to Turkey in front of shocked holiday goers.
Footage shows Lewis Howarth, 36, being hauled off the plane at Manchester Airport by cops after launching a foul-mouthed tirade at cabin crew.
According to reports, the intoxicated traveler had consumed about half a bottle of whiskey and insulted a flight attendant by using inappropriate language when requested to secure his seatbelt.
Law enforcement promptly intervened and approached the disruptive individual, identified as Howarth, who was characterized as being significantly under the influence and had been using foul language toward other astonished passengers.
When officers tried to coax Howarth off the flight, he quickly became belligerent.
“He started to resist and tried to fight or assault those escorting him,” prosecutor Saul Brody said.
“He was taken to the floor and handcuffed, and was described as thrashing his head towards the passengers and officers.
“He was restrained on the floor of the aisle, and once outside he continued shouting abuse towards the officers.”
Passengers applauded as the disruptive Howarth was booted off the Jet2 flight.
An officer told him: “You were bang out of order, there were so many kids on there.”
Howarth, from Bolton, then slurred back: “My kids are there… you are f****** wrong.
“Nah f*** off you little rats.
“Do you [really think] I’m not going to go on holiday?”
When cops told Howarth he had been placed under arrest, the passenger responded: “No I’m not, you little rat, you f****** d***heads, rat b******s.”
Legal representatives further stated that Howarth persisted in refusing to cooperate during the arrest on the boarding bridge, lashing out at the officers and even trying to bite them as they escorted him away.
Howarth, an installer who co-owns a building company, was jailed for 14 weeks following the incident.
He has previous convictions including affray, racially-aggravated harassment, assaulting a police officer and failing to comply with court orders.
Mitigating, barrister William Staunton said Howarth was ‘peer pressured’ into having a drink because he was nervous of flying.
But Recorder Geoffrey Wells, rubbished those claims.
“This behaviour was shocking,” Wells said.
“There is no excuse for being drunk when you go on an airplane.
“Your children saw you behaving like that. What kind of example is that? Wholly disgraceful.
“‘Peer pressure?’. What nonsense.”
The Sun Online has reached out to Jet2 for comment.
