Two US tourists visiting Ireland for the first time were jailed yesterday at a special sitting of Ennis District Court following an air rage incident on an Aer Lingus transatlantic flight early yesterday morning.
Stephen and Brian Jones received jail terms and fines after pleading guilty to engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour by word and gesture with intent to cause a breach of the peace contrary to Section 65 (3) of the Air Navigation (Amendment) Act 1998.
Stephen Jones (39), of Yonkers, New York, was given the maximum jail term of four months and a maximum fine of £700 under the Act.
His brother, Brian (38), of Hopewell Junction, New York, was jailed for three months and fined £500.
The court heard the two were of Irish extraction and about to start a one-week holiday in Ireland.
They were arrested at Shannon Airport by Garda Deborah Marshall of Shannon Garda station when they got off the aircraft from Newark just after 9 a.m. yesterday. When formally charged in court yesterday, neither had anything to say. The Aer Lingus cabin manager, Mr Michael Duncan, who was on flight EI 106 from Newark to Shannon and Dublin, said the brothers first came to his attention as he was greeting the passengers getting on board, when Brian Jones told him he was wearing shorts in case the aircraft crashed into the sea.
Both men were walking down the aisle of the aircraft 30 seconds before take-off and had to be escorted back to their seats. It was then that a bag containing ice and beer they had smuggled on to the aircraft was discovered by a member of the cabin crew.
Mr Duncan said that shortly afterwards the cabin crew was contacted by passengers stating that the two were being verbally abusive to other passengers.
They were advised to moderate their language because there were women and children nearby.
Mr Duncan said one of the Joneses told a member of the cabin crew that he "knew the passengers making the complaint but they would get them at Shannon".
Mr Duncan told the court the brothers' body language was threatening.
He then placed four members of the cabin crew to "keep an eye" on them.
Between an hour and 30 minutes before the aircraft was due to touch down, Mr Duncan said he was approached by a man seated behind the two brothers who told him he feared for the safety of his mother and cousin.
A solicitor for the accused men, Mr Eamon Dillon, interjected to say that that evidence was hearsay.
Mr Duncan said he then radioed ahead to Shannon to notify the authorities.
He told Supt Gerry Kelly that alcohol might have been a factor in the brothers' behaviour.
Mr Dillon told the court that Brian Jones, a carpenter, had a fear of flying and had not flown for 20 years.
Stating that it was a night-time flight, he said both brothers did not sleep. Stephen - a landscaper - talked to Brian to pass the time. Mr Dillon said his instructions were that passengers near the two told them to be quiet in abusive terms and this led to an argument.
Mr Dillon asked Mr Duncan if he saw either of the brothers threaten or harm anyone. Mr Duncan replied "no".
Mr Dillon told the court that the allegations of abusive behaviour came from the people the brothers had argued with over the two of them talking.
Mr Duncan said he talked to a number of passengers sitting behind and across from the brothers and all of them expressed concern over the verbal abuse they were being subjected to.
Mr Dillon said the brothers were sorry and had apologised to Mr Duncan prior to the court. Mr Dillon added that drink had been taken.
He said the two were in the State for only a week and had never committed an offence such as this before. He asked Judge Joseph Mangan to allow them to continue their holiday.
Asking if they had any previous convictions, Judge Mangan was told Stephen Jones was convicted of third degree burglary in 1983, was imprisoned in 1987 for 120 days after breaching parole and had several drunk driving offences, the last of which was in 1991. Brian had no previous convictions.
Judge Mangan imposed a four-month jail term on Stephen Jones, fining him £700 to be paid forthwith. His brother Brian was jailed for three months and fined £500 to be paid forthwith.
Asked by Mr Dillon to consider suspending the jail terms, Judge Mangan said he would not consider such a request.
Asked to fix recognisance in the event of an appeal, in relation to Stephen Jones, Judge Mangan fixed recognisance of Mr Jones's own bond of £500, two independent sureties of £3,000 each and one cash surety of £1,000.
In relation to Brian Jones, recognisance was fixed at £500 of his own bond, two independent sureties of £1,500 each and a cash surety of £1,000.
