Charity worker went berserk on Thomas Cook flight to Egypt

A mother of two who behaved like a ‘wild bull’ on board a flight to Egypt following a duty-free drinking binge walked free from court today.

Charity worker Bernadette Briggs, 39, launched a booze-fuelled attack upon terrified cabin crew and passengers as the Thomas Cook flight from Manchester was about to start its decent from 20,000 feet.

Briggs, from St Helens, Merseyside, suddenly stood up from her seat and ‘went berserk’, swearing and shouting after staff had asked passengers to return to their seats.

When air stewardess Madison Preece asked her to sit down, a she shouted ‘f*** off’ and when told she was putting other passengers at risk she added: ‘I’ll rip your f****** head off’.

She then punched Miss Preece on her shoulder and began swinging her arms. 

A passenger tried to intervene but Briggs scratched him and then tried to bite the captain as he restrained her.

Egyptian Police called to the scene after the aircraft landed discovered an almost empty bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin under her seat which she had bought shortly before the six hour flight.

She was taken to an Egyptian hospital and psychiatrists said she ‘suffered a psychotic episode’ on board.

It emerged she had consumed two pints of lager, vodka and whiskey, Jack Daniels and coke plus three quarters of the bottle of Bombay Sapphire. 

She was later banned from flying back with Thomas Cook and had to find an alternative route back to Manchester.

At Manchester Crown Court she admitted assault by beating, using threatening behaviour and being drunk on an aircraft and was handed with a suspended jail sentence after she told the court she was the ‘primary carer’ for her 19-year old autistic daughter.

Briggs, pictured, had drunk lager, vodka, whiskey and gin before boarding the flight from Manchester to Egypt

The court heard Briggs, left and right, began shouting and swearing at cabin crew after passengers were asked to return to their seats

Passing sentence Judge Timothy Smith told her: ‘That flight was full of people intent on having an enjoyable holiday. One of these passengers was travelling with his wife for effectively, a second honeymoon.

‘Yet you and your sister began drinking in the executive lounge where you consumed two pints of lager, a vodka and a whiskey and onboard you were served Jack Daniels and coke. 

‘You also purchased a bottle of gin and whiskey and consumed three quarters of that gin as well as taking anti-depressant medication.

‘What was then witnessed was a disarray of abuse and offensive behaviour, not just to cabin crew who were intent upon doing their job. 

‘You chose to stand up and became loud, shouting abuse and you placed yourself on the lap of one passenger.

Stewardess Madison Preece, pictured, was told to ‘f*** off’ by Briggs and she later threatened to ‘rip her f****** head off’

After Miss Preece, pictured, again asked Briggs to sit down she was punched by the 39-year-old in the shoulder

‘When told to sit down your behaviour wholly unacceptable. You were being told to sit down but you reacted again with abusive and aggressive threats and to one member you threaten to “rip her f****** head off.” Your behaviour was quite simply disgraceful.

‘The behaviour of someone who is drunk in a confined flight where a plane is 20,000 feet above the air can cause irreparable harm and the safety of the plane can very badly endangered.

‘You were described as being crazy, lashing out and being irrational. Some passengers described you as a acting like a wild animal totally out of control. It is not surprising they say their holiday was completely spoilt.

‘Your behaviour developed and you punched one member of cabin crew. A passenger was so concerned that he offered his services. 

‘He and that member of crew were trying to restrain you and you were making it extremely difficult.

‘He described you trying to bite him, behaving like a wild bull. The cabin staff were in a considerable state of distress and upset and the captain himself considered whether the flight should return immediately to the UK. 

Briggs was handed a suspended sentence and a judge said she ‘acted like a wild bull’

The mother-of-two, pictured outside court, was banned from flying back with Thomas Cook after being detained by Egyptian Police on arrival

‘This kind of offence requires a deterrent sentence and I have no doubt that custody is amply justified in your case – however I am satisfied this behaviour was out of character.

‘You are the primary career for your 19 year-old daughter and provide her with a great deal of support. It seems to me there will be a significantly adverse affect on her and an immediate custodial sentence would have a disproportionate impact on her.’

Briggs was also handed 250 hours of unpaid work and 10 days in rehab. She was also ordered to pay £3,000 compensation.

Earlier prosecuting, Nicola Carroll said: ‘On the 23rd of June this year, the defendant and her sister flew from Manchester to Hurghada in Egypt with Thomas Cook shortly after one in the afternoon and was a relatively uneventful flight until 10 minutes before landing.

‘For no reason, other than her self-induced intoxication she stood up and started shouting loudly at other passengers. Cabin crew member, Maddison Preece asked the defendant to sit down and the defendant turned and shouted: ‘I’ll f***ing rip your head off’ and continued to be threatening and abusive.

The court also heard Briggs bit the captain when he restrained her during the flight

‘Seconds before the plane landed she did sit down. A third member of cabin crew asked her for her passport and that member of staff was told to f**k off. 

‘The defendant’s sister tried to hand them over but the defendant continued shouting and screaming.

‘When she was warned she would be arrested she lunged towards Ms Preece and attempted to strike her and was pulled away by other passengers. 

‘As the plane started to disembark the defendant reacted by punching her to the shoulder which caused her to go flying into the air.

‘Some of the passengers had to intervene and restrain the defendant but she struggled so much so that the crew had to use physical restraints against her. 

‘One passenger, Neil Johnston. managed to help but she continued to be aggressive and tried to bite and spit at him.

‘Eventually she was restrained with the assistance of ground crew and local police took control of the situation. She was later released by Egyptian authorities with no further action being taken. 

‘The crew were extremely shaken up and the pilot almost cancelled the flight home.

‘Had they had to cancel the flight the cost would have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. They did decide to fly but it was delayed and the captain had to make up time. 

‘The cabin crew member who was assaulted felt unable to drive home and had to stay in an airport hotel.

‘She was distressed by the incident and gave serious consideration to resigning from the post.

‘The passenger who assisted the crew explains that the incident ruined his holiday. 

‘He was very much looking forward to his holiday which was effectively a second honeymoon for him and his wife and towards the end of the holiday they became anxious they would bump into the defendant on the return flight.

Briggs, pictured, told the court she was primary carer for her 19-year-old autistic daughter 

‘This didn’t happen as the defendant was in fact barred from travelling with Thomas Cook and had to search for an alternative flight home. 

‘On return she attended a voluntary interview with police, denying the offences saying she had no memory of them.

In mitigation defence lawyer Simon Leong said: ‘The woman that the court has heard about is a very different women to the one she presents in her normal day to day life. 

‘I don’t think I can express how remorseful and embarrassed she is by her behaviour on that flight. 

‘The excessive alcohol consumption was her decision and resulted in what appeared to be an episode of psychosis and she received hospital treatment for that.’