Married Man Jailed for Drunken Assaults on Wife and Crew During BA Flight
A married man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison following a violent and drunken incident on a British Airways flight, where he assaulted his wife, threatened cabin crew, and made inappropriate sexual remarks to a flight attendant.
Flight from Nassau to London Turns Chaotic
Philip Gould, a 64-year-old businessman from Woking, Surrey, boarded the BA aircraft with his wife after a luxury holiday in Grand Cayman. The flight was traveling from Nassau in the Bahamas to London Heathrow on June 25. However, the journey took a dramatic turn when Gould, who had consumed wine and vodka, began behaving aggressively.
During the flight, Gould slapped his wife, banged on the cockpit door to shout at the pilot, and made threats to kill cabin crew members. When denied more alcohol, he bizarrely told a male flight attendant, "I could take you to the toilet and give you the best bl*wy of your life." He also repeatedly called cabin crew offensive names and lunged toward the cockpit door, shouting angrily at the captain.
Judge Condemns Behavior as More Than "Playful Banter"
Following his arrest, Gould claimed he was merely "engaging in playful banter with the crew," but Judge Hannah Duncan dismissed this excuse during sentencing. As Gould's wife watched from the public gallery, the judge stated, "Even at the start of the flight people started to notice you being loud and obnoxious. You told the pilot you could fly the plane and you wanted your wife to be let into the cockpit."
Judge Duncan added, "You said you did secret work for the government. You behaved in a way that was truly upsetting and frightening to other customers. You called your wife a c***, told her to f*** off and slapped her in the face." The judge noted that Gould then pushed a crew member, causing him to fall on passengers and seat dividers.
"Anyone on that plane is unlikely to ever forget it. I suspect they will be nervous about getting on planes in the future. Your conduct cannot be excused as playful banter. Those who get drunk on aircraft must expect prison sentences," Judge Duncan concluded.
Escalating Violence and Safety Concerns
Prosecutor Ashleigh Ettienne detailed the escalating violence during the flight. After three hours, cabin crew became aware that Gould appeared drunk. Ten minutes later, he approached the cockpit and started banging on the door while shouting at crew, the captain, and passengers. Crew members positioned themselves between the flight deck door and Gould due to safety concerns.
Gould then pushed a cabin crew member in the chest, causing him to stumble back and bump into a passenger. When BA staff asked him to calm down, it only aggravated him further. He screamed at cabin crew, "I'll kill you. There are not enough people on the plane to restrain me," before slapping his wife and grabbing her by the hair.
When a flight attendant tried to intervene, Gould shouted, "Why are you talking to my wife you are a s***. You're pretty." He then stood up, put his arms around her, and kissed a male flight attendant on the cheek while nibbling on his ear. Ettienne stated, "The defendant's escalating behaviour was frightening and he became a serious safety issue."
Legal Consequences and Mitigating Factors
Gould eventually passed out and was arrested upon landing at Heathrow. He earlier admitted to sexual assault, acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, being drunk in an aircraft, and two counts of assault by beating. He was sentenced to 14 months for endangering the aircraft, with lesser concurrent sentences for the other offences.
In his defense, Gould claimed the combination of wine and vodka "had sent him over the edge," while his wife attributed his behavior to a "fall out" with friends during the holiday. Defense lawyer Manny Arora stated that Gould suffers from PTSD and expressed remorse for his actions.
This case highlights the severe consequences of disruptive behavior on flights, emphasizing that such actions are treated seriously by the courts and can result in significant prison time.
