A PASSENGER who threatened to open the doors of a packed plane at 30,000ft has lost his appeal against a one-year jail sentence.
Holidaymaker David McCallum, 29, was flying from Newcastle to Tenerife, in November 1999, when he had a violent row with his cousin, London's Court of Appeal was told yesterday.
McCallum was jailed for 12 months last June at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting affray.
Sir Ian Kennedy, sitting with Lord Justice Kay and Mr Justice Butterfield, said yesterday that his behaviour had almost led to the plane being diverted.
Sir Ian said: "It was such as to cause considerable anxiety, both to staff of the aircraft and other passengers, and the sort of conduct which must be met with a significant sentence."
The three judges dismissed McCallum's appeal against sentence.
McCallum's counsel Eric Elliott told the court that it was "not a classic air rage case" but one which was "tripped" by the behaviour of his client's cousin Rebecca McCallum.
Before the dispute he had been "slightly troublesome" on the plane, but had only slapped his cousin after she punched him, Mr Elliot said.
"He was not a drunken lout. He acted as a result of sore provocation, which gave him an anxiety and panic attack," Mr Elliott said.
McCallum, who had been receiving psychiatric treatment for years, had flown many times before without incident.
"First and foremost, this was a case of a young man who was psychologically vulnerable and found himself in a situation not of his own making."
Sir Ian said McCallum, his father and cousin were "noisy and rude" from the outset.
"Drinks were served and, according to witnesses, all three were shouting and swearing at each other to a degree that people were asking staff on the plane to do something about the disturbance," Sir Ian said.
Despite being moved, McCallum "continued to rant", kicked the seat in front of him and shouted threats at his cousin.
"He also threatened from time to time that he would open the door," the judge said.
The trial in June was told that many passengers were so terrified by the abusive behaviour of McCallum, of Leith, Edinburgh, that they were afraid to fly again.
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