Drunk passenger gets jail time for headbutting cabin crew after asking men to join mile-high club

Wine bottle next to airplane window in first class flight
By Alexandra Coulton


A passenger has been jailed for six months after making lewd sexual comments and biting and headbutting cabin crew.

The 20-year-old woman had to be restrained by six crew members and passengers during an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi to Manchester in May last year.

The Manchester Crown Court heard that Demi Burton made sexually explicit comments to two male passengers and asked them to join the “mile high club” with her before attacking staff, according to the BBC.

Staff reportedly spent several hours trying to calm her down but she became physically and verbally abusive, biting, headbutting and kicking cabin crew and passengers.

“It was a stressful situation but whilst I managed to remain calm and professional, it’s not acceptable for crew members to be treated this way and not fair on the other passengers to witness things like this,” flight attendant Fouzia Naim said in a statement, according to the Telegraph.

Demi Burton (Cavendish Press)

Burton’s defence lawyer, Martin Callery, told the court she was returning from visiting family in Australia and became drunk on red wine because of her fear of flying.

“She is thoroughly ashamed of herself and because she is remorseful, she is utterly embarrassed at the way she behaved. It is completely out of character as far as she is concerned,” Callery said according to the NY Post.

“She went to Australia to get away from her family who have behaved towards her from her early years in a very controlling and very abusive way.”

Judge John Edwards told the court he would sentence Burton to six-months in jail as a deterrent to others.

“Good order on any flight, in particular, a long-distance one, is essential and those who undermine that put that at risk by behaving in such crass way,” Edwards said.

Featured image: (iStock.com/FotografiaBasica)

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