A British tourist en route to Italy missed his flight after having ‘a few vodkas’ at the airport and waking up in a jail cell and not remembering how he got there.
He was arrested at Birmingham Airport for being drunk and ‘aggressive’ to staff, and ended up missing his flight as he was put in a police van instead.
David Ballantyne started drinking in the departure lounge at Birmingham airport while waiting to fly to Sorrento, Italy.
The 55-year-old claimed he took medication which did not mix well with alcohol.
Ballantyne, of Patterdale in Rugby, attended Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and admitted being drunk and disorderly in a public place during the incident, which occurred on April 21 this year.
Prosecutor Navneet Ahluwalia said: ‘Officers were requested to the departure lounge at Birmingham Airport to a report of the defendant shouting and being aggressive.’
She told the court he called one officer a ‘t***’ and warned he would ‘kick the f*** out of you’.
District Judge David Wain said: ‘He continued to swear and be abusive and so he was taken out of Gate 47 and put in a police van, which ended his attempt to go on holiday.’
Ballantyne, representing himself, said: ‘I put my hands up to it.’
He added: ‘When I went in the lounge I had a couple of bacon sandwiches and a few vodkas. I shouldn’t have had medication with alcohol.
‘I wound up in a cell with no recollection of anything. I’m really sorry I’ve not been in trouble for years.
‘I regret what happened and I apologised to everyone.’
Ballantyne confirmed he was able to catch a flight to Sorrento the following day.
DJ Wain added: ‘Airports are particularly sensitive places to be. They are full of families trying to go on holiday.
‘Some may be anxious about flying and the last thing they need to be faced with is someone being drunk and abusive towards others.
‘You also distracted the police from doing what they should be doing.’
He was fined £200 and ordered to pay an £80 victim surcharge on top of £50 in costs. The incident occurred on April 21 this year, Birmingham Live reports.
