MANCHESTER- A Jet2 (LS) passenger on a flight from Manchester Airport (MAN) to Tenerife South Airport (TFS) sexually assaulted a fellow traveler after consuming large amounts of alcohol on November 12, 2023.
Craig Lowe, 53, from Wigan, drank six small bottles of wine during the four-and-a-half-hour journey before making lewd comments and groping a woman seated beside him. The incident, reported by the Manchester Evening News, led to a court appearance and a suspended jail sentence.
Photo: By Russell Lee Photography from England – Jet 2 B737, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40842629Jet2 Drunk Passenger Assaults Woman
The court heard that Lowe initially engaged in casual conversation and light banter with the woman.
However, his behavior escalated when he began making sexually explicit remarks, including an invitation to his hotel room. He then grabbed her inner thigh, causing immediate distress.
The victim attempted to distance herself by leaving her seat, but upon her return, Lowe touched her thigh twice more. She managed to tell him to stop, after which his aggression shifted toward another passenger who had tried to assist him. Threats of violence followed, including remarks such as “I’m going to kill you… I’ll have you outside.”
Witnesses reported that his disorderly conduct continued even after landing, during the transfer from the aircraft to the terminal bus, leaving passengers shaken.
Photo: Manchester AirportImpact on the Victim
In a statement read in court, the victim described how the incident shattered what was meant to be a relaxing family trip. A nervous flyer to begin with, she said the assault heightened her anxiety about air travel and left her fearful of flying alone again.
She also raised concerns about the absence of CCTV cameras onboard, noting that in confined aircraft cabins, passengers have little recourse if subjected to harassment.
Defense counsel Jason Smith explained that Lowe was battling alcoholism at the time, which had negatively affected his personal life and relationships. On the day of the incident, he had continued drinking heavily at the airport before boarding the flight.
Although Lowe expressed remorse and admitted guilt, the seriousness of the offense placed him before Manchester Crown Court. Judge Timothy Smith highlighted the recurring issue of intoxicated passengers endangering others in confined aircraft cabins, stressing that such behavior instills fear and disrupts safety.
Photo: By Björn Strey – IMG_0307 X, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26605237Sentencing and Consequences
Lowe was sentenced to 28 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to entering an aircraft while drunk and committing sexual assault. His punishment includes 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activity.
He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years. The judge noted that the delayed court hearing and Lowe’s subsequent efforts to remain sober contributed to the decision to suspend the prison term.
This case adds to ongoing concerns within the airline industry about alcohol-related misconduct in-flight. Cabin crews and passengers often face challenges when individuals consume excessive alcohol before or during flights.
The airline sector has repeatedly called for stricter regulations on alcohol sales in airports and harsher penalties for disruptive behavior on board, given the safety risks in confined spaces at altitude.
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