Holidaymaker jailed after drunken homophobic slur
A holidaymaker who got drunk and called an air steward a “poof” has been jailed for ten and a half months.
Grant Smith, 36, was drinking heavily aboard the New Year’s Eve flight to the Dominican Republic.
Manchester crown court heard that Smith used the homophobic insult towards steward Tim Burrows.
He denied it had been homophobic and his lawyer Jon Oultram argued: “It’s a phrase used in some areas less for comment on someone’s sexuality but more on the way they’re behaving.”
Smith was found guilty and jailed for drunkeness on an aircraft.
The plane had already been delayed by three hours when it took off from Manchester and the behaviour of some passengers had been so bad it was diverted to Bermuda.
There had allegedly been tension between Smith and another group of passengers from Liverpool. Smith said the reason he made the insult was because Burrows had “shown him up” when he gave him back his wallet that had been taken by the Liverpool group.
He was given an apology but then began arguing with his friend and was given two warning letters by the captain, which he ripped up. It was also alleged that he was saying: “I’ll f*****g kill somebody”.
In total, seven passengers were removed from the flight. Only Smith was charged.
