A senior security officer at Shannon Airport believed that a life jacket stolen from an Aer Lingus flight contained in luggage was an improvised explosive device.
At Gort District Court, Rohit Sharma (37), of Sunbury on Thames, Surrey, England, avoided a jail term after pleading guilty to stealing the life jacket from the Aer Lingus London-Shannon flight on Tuesday.
Judge Patrick Durcan told Mr Sharma at Ennis District Court on Wednesday that a prison sentence was foremost in his mind and remanded the company director on bail to reappear before Gort District Court yesterday.
In court yesterday, Indian-born Mr Sharma broke down in the witness box when he said: “I have brought shame on the family and everyone. I am truly sorry for what I did. I promise, I will never, ever do anything like this in my life.”
He said stealing the life jacket “was a moment of madness”.
Judge Durcan said it was clear Mr Sharma had “been through 18 hours of total hell by virtue of his stupidity and criminality”.
Earlier in court, senior security officer Pat Slattery said: “When I checked the X-ray machine the item looked like an improvised explosive device.”
Judge Durcan fined Mr Sharma €1,000.
