Drunk passenger, 37, who told air hostess ‘I’ll smash your face in’ after his wine was confiscated on flight to Turkey is jailed

A drunk Jet2 passenger who threatened a frightened air hostess by telling her he’d ‘smash [her] face in’ during a wine-fuelled rant has been jailed. 

Jason Roddis, a 37-year-old from Bradford, made the threats to the cabin crew of a Jet2 flight from Turkey to Leeds Bradford Airport last summer after getting into an argument with his partner. 

Prosecutor Ben Sayers told Bradford Crown Court that Roddis, who had already 42 previous convictions for 89 offences, was loudly swearing, and was found with a nearly-empty bottle of wine he brought onto the plane. 

Though this was taken from him, he continued swearing and shouting. 

After another passenger made a complaint, Roddis was found with a second bottle of wine which was also taken from him. 

The court was told that a third cabin crew member tried to give the drunk man a ‘disruption notice’, but he ripped it up and threw it back at them. 

He then began threatening the crew, telling one woman he would ‘smash her face in’, before telling another: ‘I’ll smash your head in.’

While the pilot had considered diverting the plane to get Roddis off, he decided to carry on back to the UK, as the plane was only 30 minutes from landing. 

He threatened a frightened air hostess by telling her he’d ‘smash [her] face in’

Upon arrival, police officers were waiting to arrest him. 

But as he was being arrested, he was racially abusive to an officer and caused damage to a police van. 

Cops also said he was heavily intoxicated, and was unsteady on his feet. 

Barrister Rebecca Young, representing Roddis, told the court that he had been to Turkey to look after his mother who had undergone a hip replacement surgery. 

She claimed that Roddis suffered from severe anxiety and depression, and was away him medication while abroad. 

Young said that as a result, his mental health had deteriorated and he decided to drink on the plane.

Roddis was jailed for 14 months after pleading guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, two offences of common assault in relation to the cabin crew, racially aggravated harassment and criminal damage.

Roddis was jailed for 14 months following the incident

The case was heard at Bradford Crown Court (File image)

He was also given an additional four months after he admitted to stealing a woman’s handbag from a parked car in Bradford in December. 

Recorder Patrick Palmer said Roddis had to understand that it had been very serious offending on the plane. 

The judge added was quite plain that the staff were very frightened and Roddis could also imagine the fear of other passengers trapped on the aeroplane with him when he was obviously out of control.