Richard Keys’ daughter ‘downed gin on flight from Greece to London’

The ex-Hollyoaks actress and daughter of controversial former Sky football pundit Richard Keys necked gin and pestered passengers on a flight to buy her booze after cabin crew refused to serve her.

Jemma Keys, 33, who has battled alcoholism, was flying back to London Gatwick after holidaying in Greece with her boyfriend last month – but says she has no memory of the plane journey. 

She admitted being drunk on an aircraft after Crawley Magistrates were told she had downed six shots of gin before staff had even got the trolley to the row behind her.

Keys was given a conditional discharge – meaning she will not be punished further unless she is brought before the courts again. 

Jemma Keys outside Crawley Magistrates Court today, where she admitted one count of being drunk on an aircraft

Jemma, who was supported by her mother Julia at court, was last in court in March for harassing a friend who had an affair with her father Richard (pictured together) – but the case was dropped

Her lawyer told the court that she had been teetotal for seven weeks before the flight and was the victim of a ‘controlling and aggressive’ on/off boyfriend who had bought her the drinks.

Miss Keys has admitted having a problem with alcohol and blamed the incident on a ‘manipulating’ boyfriend

Her lover had ordered the three double gins and a small bottle of tonic, which were promptly necked by Keys.

The court heard Keys had ‘no recollection of the flight’ and is mortified by the ordeal.

Jeremy King, prosecuting, said: ‘Miss Keys was on a flight heading toward Gatwick Airport from Greece. Around 30 minutes or so into the flight the drinks service was provided.

‘The flight attendant found Miss Keys’ seat to be empty but her partner was in the seat next to her and ordered three double gins, one tonic and one beer.

‘By that point Miss Keys returned to her seat and ordered another gin and a lemonade.

‘She was seen to drink three small bottles of gin in very quick succession – to the point where by the time the trolley got to the next row, the drinks had been finished.

‘Flight staff refused to serve her due to the amount she was seen to drink on board and how she was clearly under the influence of alcohol.’

Magistrates’ heard that Keys tried to persuade other passengers to buy booze for her, but she was caught by the crew.

Mr King said: ‘About 30 minutes before landing, she was heard asking her boyfriend to buy her a drink which he refused. There was an incident and she was moved to another row due to how drunk she was.

‘The plane landed and police officers met the aircraft at Gatwick. She was taken to a police station and interviewed the same day.’

The court heard Keys, who has battled alcoholism, has a previous conviction for drink driving. 

Seona White, defending, said: ‘She is a woman who struggled for most of her adult life, and earlier than that, with alcohol addiction. Something she desperately tried to control for a number of years.

‘She’s a lady who’s been through detox a few times, On the last occasion it was a home detox. She thought she was doing well as she had gone seven weeks with no alcohol whatsoever.’

Mr Keys was seen leaving the side door of a hotel with Lucie Rose, then 28, who was a friend of his daughter

Ms White said Keys’ on-off boyfriend who was with her on the flight was ‘aggressive, manipulating and controlling’ and an ‘enabler’ for buying the drinks.

She added that her client had only intended to have one drink to ‘knock her out’ for the flight home.

She added: ‘She thought she was strong enough and in the right place to go on holiday with him. He took her away to somewhere fairly secluded where they were the only ones there. There was nowhere really to go.

Keys, pictured earlier this year, had ‘no recollection of the flight’ and is mortified by the ordeal

‘She found it quite stressful and she didn’t have a mobile phone to contact family, she could only use his phone.

‘It’s her partner who buys three gins – an enabler you may find. She comes back to the seat and the drinks are in front of her. Of course because they are there she drinks them.

‘She drinks it all too quickly. She wants another drink, and another drink, and she becomes a nuisance.

‘She’s a nuisance, she’s not a danger. She doesn’t make threats to staff or cause the flight to be diverted.’

‘It’s fair to say that she has no recollection of the flight once she had that alcohol. She’s mortified and she apologises profusely for her behaviour and would obviously never want to repeat that behaviour.’

Keys, dressed in a black blazer with her hair pulled back by a gold headband into a ponytail was joined by her mother Julia at court.

The actress was last in court in March for harassing a friend who had an affair with her father Richard – but the charges were dropped.

Disgraced Sky presenter Richard Keys resigned in January 2011 after making derogatory comments about assistant referee Sian Massey.

Keys, of Ascot, Berkshire, admitted one count of being drunk on an aircraft and was conditionally discharged for two years.

 

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