A jumbo jet passenger, who was accused of endangering an aircraft when he objected to a couple smoking in front of him, is to face a retrial. Mr John Bagwell (42), who has addresses in Straffan, Co Kildare and Mayfair, central London, allegedly behaved like a "man possessed" and stormed on to the flight deck of the South African Airways plane in December last year.
Mr Bagwell, a chartered accountant, told Isleworth Crown Court in Middlesex that he had simply "asserted" his rights, had not lost his temper and never once set foot in the cockpit.
Following his formal acquittal yesterday on an affray charge, which Judge Simon Evans ruled had insufficient evidence to support it, the jury announced it was unable to reach a verdict on the endangering count and was discharged.