Passenger denied flight threw fire extinguisher through door

Saturday 10 December 2022

A 55-year-old man has landed himself in court after throwing a fire extinguisher through a glass door in response to being denied access to a flight to Luton.

Gerard Eamon Maguire (55) caused £1,323.98 worth of damage by smashing the door at Gate Two.

He appeared in the Magistrate's Court this week, and was ordered to pay for the malicious damage and fined £250 for disorderly conduct liable to cause alarm or distress.

Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris also bound him over to be of good behaviour for 12 months.

Advocate Simon Crowder, prosecuting, told the court that Maguire had been due to take an easyJet flight to Luton on the evening of 25 September but when he reached the departure gate he discovered he had left his mobile phone – which contained his boarding pass – in a bar in the airport.

Pictured: The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court this week.

He went back to the bar and returned with it, but found he was not allowed on board and the gate had already closed.

"A Swissport employee was under the impression that he was drunk, because of his language and the volume of his voice," the advocate said.

He also swore and shouted abuse at other airport staff.

The court was told that Maguire had a previous conviction for the same two offences, when he smashed a glass door in a pub.

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, said Maguire had had to retrieve his phone from the bar and added: "When he returned he saw people boarding the plane. It was unbeknownst to him that he would not be allowed to board.

"On reflection he knows that it wasn't a suitable way to act for a man of his years."

He also pointed out that Maguire had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Harris told him: "I can see why you were frustrated, but your response was wholly inappropriate."

He allowed him to pay at the rate of £50 per week.