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Drunken Woman Asks Men to 'Join the Mile High Club', Headbutts Passengers, Crew on Etihad Jet Frenzy

The incident reportedly took place on 9 May, where six people were forced to restrain the young woman after she flew into a rage on the UK-bound airplane.
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Demi Burton, 20, was jailed after an incident on flight EY21, flying from Abu Dhabi to Manchester, after she attacked cabin crew refusing to serve her alcohol and passengers attempting to restrain her, reports said.

Ms Burton had entered the plane while intoxicated and continued drinking red wine, prompting flight attendants to stop serving her further drinks after she began making sexual advances to two men, asking them to join her in the "mile high club".

"You may as well just land the plane now then", the defendant shouted as heard by the Minshull Street Crown Court. She then began to rage at passengers which lasted around four hours, according to witnesses.

Etihad staff struggled to calm down Ms Burton but she began headbutting, biting and kicking them out as 259 passengers looked on in bemusement, the Manchester Evening News reported.

A consultant anaesthetist on board was bitten on his elbow and headbutted as he helped restrain her, stating it was worse than working in the A&E, according to the court hearing. A stewardess was also bitten on the forearm and headbutted on the chin. Other passengers were kicked in the ribs and face as well as headbutted.

Stewardess Fouzia Naim said that the situation was "stressful" and that it was unacceptable for crew members to endure such abuse.

Mrs Naim said in a statement: "It was a stressful situation but whilst I managed to remain calm and professional, it's not acceptable for crew members to be treated this way and not fair on the other passengers to witness things like this.

She added: "As a result of her being verbally abusive towards me and assaulting, I couldn't eat or drink anything whilst the flight was ongoing."

The 20-year-old native of Carrington, near Manchester, had been visiting family for three months in Australia, but said she had gotten drunk due to a fear of flying. 

But courts charged her with five counts of assault and six months in jail.

Prosecutor Claire Brocklebank said: "It appears she was drunk before getting on the flight and she started making a number of inappropriate sexual comments to a number of male passengers on the flight.

Ms Brocklebank added that two men remembered hearing comments and "at first they laughed it off", but the situation became "increasingly inappropriate" after she asked them to join the mile high club.

She added: "Both tried to end conversation with her but she carried on. One said he felt quite shocked by her comments and people around her started to ask her to be quiet as others could hear.

But Martin Callery, Ms Burton's defence lawyer, said that the defendant may have also had issues with seeing her family, leading to the drunken incident.

Mr Callery said: "She is thoroughly ashamed of herself and because she is remorseful, she is utterly embarrassed at the way she behaved. It is completely out of character as far as she is concerned.

He added that Burton was "apprehensive" to return home to family in the UK who had acted "in a very controlling and very abusive way" in her early years, in addition to her fear of flying.

But Judge John Edwards said during the sentencing: "Good order on any flight - in particular a long distance one - is essential and those who undermine that put that at risk by behaving in such crass way.

He added: "Your behaviour was unpleasant, violent and persistent over a lengthy period. So that a doctor, an anaesthetist by profession remarks in all his dealings in A&E had not witnessed such aggressive behaviour before. I'm afraid you have to be dealt with in a way that might deter others.

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