Hampshire resident Emma Langford stood trial at Ealing Magistrates' Court in December 2018. Langford had caused disruption and had assaulted cabin crew during a British Airways flight. Even though Langford supposedly went into rehab after the incident, the magistrates believed that she deserved further punishment for her actions.

Langford had boarded BA043, a Boeing 747-300 flight from London Heathrow to Cape Town. 30 minutes after the flight took off, Langford made her way down the flight gallery and started screaming at the cabin crew. She claimed that she had told them she was thirsty and had been waiting since the flight took off for something to drink.

The manager politely asked Langford to not be aggressive and gave her a bottle of water. Langford returned to her seat only to return a while later. Prosecutor Molda Gribbin pointed out that Langford insulted the manager by telling him that she paid £4,000 for her ticket and mocked him by asking him if he would ever be able to afford it.

British Airways
A woman was restrained on board a British Airways flight from London to Cape Town Reuters

The manager continued to try and calm Langford down. Gribbin also told the magistrates that the manager suspected Langford was already drunk. Langford continued to be disruptive to the point where she started throwing trays containing glasses to the floor. The glass shards ended up cutting cabin staff.

Langford assaulted the manager, charged and grabbed a cabin crew member, and kicked another cabin crew member on the back of the leg. In court, the British Airways staff, who Langford had kicked, recollected the traumatic experience. The victim said Langford body-shamed her by calling her "chubby" and telling her she had a "fat a**". She told the court that Langford's actions caused her physical and mental trauma.

The Mirror pointed out that with the help of an off-duty officer, the cabin crew was able to subdue Langford. Upon reaching Cape Town, she was escorted off of the flight.

Langford had pleaded guilty to criminal damage, being drunk on an aircraft, and behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting and disorderly manner towards cabin crew. She did not accept three charges of assault until she appeared for her December 4 hearing, where she pleaded guilty of assault.

Mitigator informed the magistrates that Langford had sought mental health care and had attended rehab. However, for creating a threatening environment in a confined space, the magistrates ordered her case to be tried at a Crown Court. Langford will appear for a hearing on January 3 at Isleworth Crown Court where she may be handed a two-year sentence.

London