Grounded: Drunk passenger jailed and barred after plane turned back

A drunk passenger high on cocaine threw punches at passengers which forced a flight out of Leeds Bradford to return to the airport minutes after takeoff.

- by Nick Frame

Matthew Taylor refused to put his seatbelt back on, was picking arguments and making threats to other passengers and staff, telling them to "prepare for World War III" if police boarded the flight.

He later admitted to drinking more than six pints before boarding and taking cocaine in the car on the way to the airport.

The 30-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court yesterday after admitting entering an aircraft while drunk.

The flight took off from Leeds Bradford Airport shortly after 6.30pm on August 18, bound for Alicante in Spain.

Prosecutor Corey Boothe said there were almost 150 passengers and crew onboard, including the elderly and families with young children.

But Taylor was flagged as a person of concern almost immediately after approaching one of the female flight attendants before takeoff and asking her to marry him.