easyJet passenger 'slapped female crew member on the bottom' during flight from Northern Ireland to Portugal

Sean MacCullough, of Drumawillin Park, Ballycastle, committed the offence on October 11, 2021.

A prosecutor told Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday (January 10), that during the flight the defendant had asked the crew member for her phone number when he had been ordering alcohol.

The court heard she was taking payment and told the defendant the contactless card payment would not work because the bill exceeded the limit.

She indicated the defendant may have to put his card into the card machine and, the prosecutor said, MacCullough told her to come closer and he then made a suggestive comment to her.

The prosecutor said as the crew member walked away "the defendant stood up and slapped the injured party on her bottom". The court heard that when spoken to in the presence of the cabin crew manager, MacCullough stood up "held his hands up and apologised".

“The victim was then moved to a different part of the plane and didn't have any further contact with the defendant," the prosecutor added.

When interviewed by police in Northern Ireland, the defendant claimed he had been "arrested, held for three hours and fined by the Portuguese police and had been told that that was the end of the matter".

The court heard the defendant said he had been travelling alone to Portugal and had been "bought drink by a group of males in the airport and on the plane which had an adverse reaction to his medication and he stated he had no recollection of the incident, however, apologised for his actions which caused, offence, hurt and embarrassment".

The prosecutor said the defendant could not show police in Northern Ireland any proof of arrest or a fine in Portugal.

The prosecutor said police contacted the Portuguese authorities who confirmed they had not taken any action against the defendant.

The court heard MacCullough was given a 10-year "travel ban" from easyJet.

A defence barrister said the defendant accepted his behaviour was "appalling" and had the "good sense" to apologise at the time. He said MacCullough was "ashamed" of his behaviour.

The barrister said it was clear from the crew member's statement that the incident had a "profound effect" on her.

The lawyer said his client had struggled with "drugs and alcohol" and whilst on medication he should not have been drinking but he "fell in with a group of younger males whilst they were waiting to board the flight and he stupidly got carried away in terms of drink".

District Judge Oonagh Mullan told MacCullough it had been an "extremely serious" incident as "this was a young woman who was simply carrying out her job and the way in which you approached her and behaved was totally unacceptable and would have been extremely distressing for her".

The district judge said she had considered jailing the defendant but that would not resolve his issues upon release and instead she put him on Probation for 18 months.

MacCullough was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register.