Drunken rage to cost plane passenger $17,000
Last Updated: Friday, March 9, 2007 | 8:46 AM CT
CBC News
An Irish businessman whose drunken antics forced a British Airways jet to make an emergency landing in Winnipeg will leave the city with a criminal record and owing more than $17,000 in fines.
David McAuliffe, 38, pleaded guilty in a Winnipeg courtroom Thursday to mischief and disobeying a flight crew.
McAuliffe became abusive to passengers and flight-crew members when he was refused alcohol service while flying from London to Phoenix for a business trip last Saturday.
He was eventually handcuffed to his seat and the pilot on the British Airways 747 diverted the plane to Winnipeg.
A soft-spoken and clearly embarrassed McAuliffe said Thursday that he was sincerely sorry to everyone on the plane for his behaviour.
He said the last five days had changed his life and he admitted the hurt and pain he'd caused his family were tremendous.
McAuliffe said he had been afraid of flying since he suffered injuries in a plane crash in England several years ago. To deal with his intense anxiety, he combined Valium with a day-long drinking binge before the plane took off.
However, his remorse did not sway Justice Rob Finlayson, who levied a $1,000 fine for each charge. McAuliffe was also ordered to repay British Airways more than $15,000 for the unexpected stop in Winnipeg.
Finlayson also denied McAuliffe's lawyer's plea for a conditional discharge, which would have allowed him to leave the country immediately. Instead, the Irish citizen will have a criminal record and he will have to undergo an immigration hearing.
In the worst-case scenario, McAuliffe would be ordered deported and escorted home by an agent, which could mean he is returned to custody until those arrangements are made. He has already spent four days in the Winnipeg Remand Centre.
Once he returns to Ireland, the court heard, McAuliffe's future is uncertain.
As a result of his actions, his employer, Intel, has rescinded the promotion that sparked his ill-fated flight to Arizona for training. He expects to have to plead to keep his previous job.
