A drunk man who vaped on a plane, shouted abuse at airline crew, and punched a paramedic at Heathrow Airport has been spared jail. Yogeshwar Sharma, 51, from Ilford, East London, consumed a bottle of vodka and took prescription medication before boarding a British Airways flight to Delhi, India, on November 25 last year.
According to Uxbridge Magistrates' Court, Sharma was told he was too intoxicated to fly, but he became abusive, shouting profanities and challenging staff with phrases like "I want to fight you." He also attempted to spit at police officers. Prosecutor Ravinder Chodha stated that after being asked to leave the aircraft, Sharma refused, produced a lighter, and began vaping despite being explicitly told smoking was prohibited.
When escorted off the plane, Sharma lunged at paramedic Mick Hinde and punched him on the chin. However, Mr. Hinde managed to dodge the full impact and was not injured. In a statement, he noted that Sharma's fist struck his chin but caused no harm.
Sharma's solicitor, Antonia Gray, told the court that her client had no recollection of boarding the plane and was "appalled" and "humiliated" by his behavior. "The reality of the situation is he has absolutely no recollection of the incident," she said. "He was quite literally horrified, so appalled and humiliated by his own behaviour."
Sharma, a recovering alcoholic, had been under significant stress due to his mother's illness and the death of a family member. He was traveling to his uncle's funeral in Delhi at the time of the incident. He pleaded guilty to entering an aircraft while drunk, using threatening behavior, common assault of a paramedic, and smoking on a plane.
Ian Comfort, chairing the magistrates' bench, acknowledged that Sharma's actions caused considerable delays and disturbance to passengers and cabin crew. Sharma was sentenced to a fine of £2,718, which included £769 for assaulting an emergency worker, £50 compensation to Mr. Hinde, and £85 in prosecution costs. As he left the court, Sharma expressed his gratitude to the magistrates.
