UK man faces jail for "accidentally" slapping Ryanair stewardess on bottom

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

Groom-to-be ‘who slapped Ryanair stewardess on the bottom’ could be jailed

A FIANCE who assaulted an air stewardess while returning from his stag do has been warned he could be jailed.

Peter Thompson, of Cranbrook Road, Poole, admitted being drunk on a Ryanair flight from Alicante to Bournemouth on May 4 and also pleaded guilty to one charge of assault.

The prosecution alleged he slapped the Ryanair stewardess on the bottom but Thompson, 48, claimed he accidentally made contact with her back while gesticulating in excitement.

Thompson, who works at a private language school, will be sentenced at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court on June 16 – two months before he is due to get married in August. Magistrates have asked for pre-sentence reports but warned they were not ruling out any sentencing options, including custody.


Lee Turner, prosecuting at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court, read a statement from the air stewardess in which she said Thompson told her she was very pretty and that he loved her.

“He was looking at me as if I was a piece of meat,” her statement said.

She later noticed he moved from the seat and was sitting on the lap of his friend.

“As she walked past he smacked her bottom with his open right hand,” said Mr Turner. “She pushed his hand away and said: ‘Don’t do that again’.”

Mr Turner added: “He wasn’t aggressive, she thinks he was trying to be funny but was actually very disrespectful.”

James Moore, defending, said Thompson had consumed alcohol before the flight, along with an antihistamine tablet, and was then sold a discounted alcoholic drink by the air stewardess on the plane.

He read Thompson’s basis of plea, which said he was in high spirits and looking forward to seeing his fiancée when the incident happened.

He said he flailed his arms to express himself and accidentally made contact with the stewardess as she walked past.

Mr Moore said: “He’s sat on the arm of a chair with a friend. He’s barely aware that he’s even touched her.

“Unfortunately, she got this wrong.

“What we have here is a man not intentionally making contact with the flight attendant. It wasn’t nasty, it wasn’t malicious, it didn’t cause any trouble. This is not a sinister, nasty offence – it didn’t put anyone at risk.”

Bit of a strange one this, as if it was just an accident - as his solicitor suggests - then why plead guilty?

Either way, to serve jail time for something like this does seem a little OTT.

Tramps Like Us

How is it OTT, its sexual harassment from a drunken lech on a woman trying to do her job. He needs to be taught a lesson

Slicemeister

Stone him!!!

Darkglasses

That headline is pretty misleading I think -

Magistrates have asked for pre-sentence reports but warned they were not ruling out any sentencing options, including custody.

Galwayguy35

I'd say it was his middle leg that got excited rather than the rest of him.

SEPT 23 1989

hen party+male steward=non story

pablomakaveli

While what he did was wrong i do think jail is a bit much. Community service and a fine would probably be more appropriate.

Gongoozler

I agree that he should face some sort of punishment as I don't believe for a second it was an accident, but jail time I think may be a bit much. A fine and community service is enough.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

How is it OTT, its sexual harassment from a drunken lech on a woman trying to do her job. He needs to be taught a lesson

I didn't say it would be OTT to punish him, I said it would be OTT if he was made serve jail time over it.. which is somewhat different.

Suspended sentence perhaps, or ban him from flying for a year?

Locking him up for something like this, when it was seemingly his first offence of this nature.. seems a little drastic.

Hell, I had much worse done to me in Temple Bar a few weeks back, not sure I would agree with those women being locked up for it.

SEPT 23 1989

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

hen party+male steward=non story

Well it shouldn't be

Ash.J.Williams

that was no accident

syklops

There is clearly about two-thirds of the story missing.

He slapped her ass, she said don't do that again. How did it go from there, to a courthouse?

You would expect better journalism from the... Bournemouth Echo?!?

Ok maybe you wouldn't.

anncoates

Needs Oh Leery headline.

snaphook

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

How is it OTT, its sexual harassment from a drunken lech on a woman trying to do her job. He needs to be taught a lesson

By going to Prison?

mike65

You know in the old days, a female member of the cabin crew would either smile through gritted teeth, come back with a witty slightly demeaning riposte or would just spit in his food later.

Now its a a ****ing crime :rolleyes: Does he go on the sexual offenders register?

Tramps Like Us

snaphook wrote: »

By going to Prison?

Yes, not for life but a few weeks would teach him a lesson, time and time again we see people with a slew of convictions not serving time.

It just highlights the double standard some have to sexual harrassment, they think its not a "proper crime"

Arthur Beesley

Any pics of the pretty airstewardess?

snaphook

Tramps Like Us wrote: »

Yes

For how long then?

If anything a fine and the shame of having his named published is punishment enough.

The Backwards Man

I'm struggling to think of any gesticulation whilst sitting on somebody's lap that could be accidental.

Lock the fcuker up for telling lies.

SEPT 23 1989

mike65 wrote: »

Does he go on the sexual offenders register?

he works in a school so job gone as well

whisky_galore

'James Moore, defending, said Thompson had consumed alcohol before the flight, along with an antihistamine tablet, and was then sold a discounted alcoholic drink by the air stewardess on the plane.'

Moral of the story is: don't take tablets and drink before flying...

Ash.J.Williams

Seems people don't think this is criminal behaviour?? of course it is.

Fr_Dougal

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

I didn't say it would be OTT to punish him, I said it would be OTT if he was made serve jail time over it.. which is somewhat different.

Suspended sentence perhaps, or ban him from flying for a year?

Locking him up for something like this, when it was seemingly his first offence of this nature.. seems a little drastic.

Hell, I had much worse done to me in Temple Bar a few weeks back, not sure I would agree with those women being locked up for it.

She should be allowed to do her job without being molested, end of story.

mike65

whisky_galore wrote: »

'James Moore, defending, said Thompson had consumed alcohol before the flight, along with an antihistamine tablet, and was then sold a discounted alcoholic drink by the air stewardess on the plane.'

Moral of the story is: don't take tablets and drink before flying...

hang on isn't that the Prenderville defence?

snaphook

Maybe he should have contacted Gerald Kean to defend him.
No sex offenders list, or losing your job for rubbing one out after wine and nurofen.

No one who has ever drank too much alcohol has ever done or said anything that they regret.

Arthur Beesley

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

I didn't say it would be OTT to punish him, I said it would be OTT if he was made serve jail time over it.. which is somewhat different.

Suspended sentence perhaps, or ban him from flying for a year?

Locking him up for something like this, when it was seemingly his first offence of this nature.. seems a little drastic.

Hell, I had much worse done to me in Temple Bar a few weeks back, not sure I would agree with those women being locked up for it.

That sounds like a fairly crap documentary.

_Redzer_

Do the girls who grabbed my ass in a club before get jail time too?

Ash.J.Williams

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Do the girls who grabbed my ass in a club before get jail time too?

not unless you reported it....a female getting groped in her workplace is different.

SEPT 23 1989

I worked as a lounge boy many moons ago and a slap or a pinch on the ass from a group of drunk women happened quite a lot

Galwayguy35

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

not unless you reported it....a female getting groped in her workplace is different.

Worse than a man getting groped in his workplace?

snaphook

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I worked as a lounge boy many moons ago and a slap or a pinch on the ass from a group of drunk women happened quite a lot

I'm sure they were only gesticulating in a drunken manner.

steveone

Did anyone see the offended bum ? Was it worth it one wonders..

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

TheZohan wrote: »

She should be allowed to do her job without being molested, end of story.

Which is why I said he should receive a suspended sentence or other form of punishment.

I don't think anyone that feels that it would be ott if he were to have to serve prison time, is also of the opinion that what he did should somehow be tolerated.

You can think that what he did was wrong and also think that to go to jail for what he did would be ott. They are not mutually exclusive opinions.

Fr_Dougal

_Redzer_ wrote: »

Do the girls who grabbed my ass in a club before get jail time too?

Did you report them to security and/or a Garda? Because they're not mind readers.

Savage Tyrant

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

hen party+male steward=non story

bluewolf wrote: »

Well it shouldn't be

You're right, it shouldn't be, but it would indeed be a non story.
I venture to say most lads working in a bar have at some point been made feel at least slightly uncomfortable by a hen party.
I have on numerous occasions been slapped on the arse or grabbed and kissed by members of a hen party. It is usually just laughed at by all those around including management.
If that was a barmaid though being accosted by members of a stag... It would be seen by the very same people as an entirely different situation.

Ash.J.Williams

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Worse than a man getting groped in his workplace?

same legally ..

suicide_circus

Savage Tyrant wrote: »

You're right, it shouldn't be, but it would indeed be a non story.
I venture to say most lads working in a bar have at some point been made feel at least slightly uncomfortable by a hen party.
I have on numerous occasions been slapped on the arse or grabbed and kissed by members of a hen party. It is usually just laughed at by all those around including management.
If that was a barmaid though being accosted by members of a stag... It would be seen by the very same people as an entirely different situation.

Barstewards, the lot of them.

_Redzer_

TheZohan wrote: »

Did you report them to security and/or a Garda? Because they're not mind readers.

No, because I think it'd be ridiculous when it was harmless. Can you even imagine the guards taking me seriously?

I think she should be able to do her job without getting groped like that, but jail time is just ridiculous when if that would happen to a man people would just laugh it off. A fine would do the job.

InReality

The fact that it was on a plane means he should go to jail.
The last thing I'd like to see happening is harrassing women in a small space by drunken blokes.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

syklops wrote: »

You would expect better journalism from the... Bournemouth Echo?!?

Was either the Echo or the DM and lord knows had I included their article on the story, no doubt we'd have a dozen or so sneering Daily Fail posts by now. Here it is:

Groom returning from his stag do faces jail for slapping air hostess on the bottom during Ryanair flight

A groom-to-be who smacked the bottom of an air hostess on his way home from his stag do could be jailed - just two months before his wedding.

Peter Thompson, 48, was on a flight from Alicante, Spain to Bournemouth in Dorset when he drunkenly attacked the female Ryanair crew member.

He told the 'pretty' hostess he 'loved her' before he mounted a friend's lap and slapped her bottom as she walked past, the court heard.

The attendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pushed Thompson's hand away and told him not to do it again.

Thompson appeared at Bournemouth Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to being drunk on the flight and to one charge of assault.
Lee Turner, prosecuting, read a statement from the air stewardess and said Thompson told her she was very pretty and that he loved her.

The statement said: 'He was looking at me as if I was a piece of meat.'

She later noticed he moved from the seat and was sitting on the lap of his friend.

Mr Turner said: 'As she walked past he smacked her bottom with his open right hand.

'She pushed his hand away and said "Don't do that again".

'He wasn't aggressive, she thinks he was trying to be funny but was actually very disrespectful.'

The court heard that Thompson, who works at a language school and lives in Poole, had consumed alcohol and an antihistamine tablet before the flight on May 4.

He was then sold a discounted alcoholic drink by the air stewardess on the plane.

James Moore, defending, said that Thompson was in high spirits and looking forward to seeing his fiancee when the incident happened.

He said he flailed his arms to express himself and accidentally made contact with the stewardess as she walked past.

Mr Moore said: 'He's sat on the arm of a chair with a friend. He's barely aware that he's even touched her.

'Unfortunately, she got this wrong.

'What we have here is a man not intentionally making contact with the flight attendant. It wasn't nasty, it wasn't malicious, it didn't cause any trouble.

'This is not a sinister, nasty offence, it didn't put anyone at risk.'

Thompson will be sentenced on June 16, two months before he is due to get married.

ryan101

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

hen party+male steward=non story

Exactly

bluewolf wrote: »

Well it shouldn't be

but yet it is

WellThen?

A fine would suffice, god like give over with this unsafe environment rubbish. She said herself he was not aggressive. He should be out of pocket a few bob that will stop him being a drunken idiot like that again.A jail sentence is stupid, If it was the other way round this thread would be a joke.

Bar him from Ryanair even, job done.

Ash.J.Williams

he should be given a final chance to dismiss the "accident" and tell the truth...and then off with a punishment other than jail...if he lies then jail him....

mike65

Well if he lied that would be contempt of court, so he'd be jailed anyway.

Boskowski

Jesus

Assault. Jail.
It'll be called rape next.

The guy behaved like a tool and is gettin publicly embarrassed over it. Maybe we should just hysteria it down a bit...

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

_Redzer_ wrote: »

No, because I think it'd be ridiculous when it was harmless. Can you even imagine the guards taking me seriously?

I heard of a woman from Swords, that followed a guy up the road in the middle of the day and slapped him on the arse and was given eight months in prison for it.

Boskowski

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

I heard of a woman from Swords, that followed a guy up the road in the middle of the day and slapped him on the arse and was given eight months in prison for it.

I call bull on that

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

Boskowski wrote: »

I call bull on that

Here you go.

Savage Tyrant

Savage Tyrant wrote: »

You're right, it shouldn't be, but it would indeed be a non story.
I venture to say most lads working in a bar have at some point been made feel at least slightly uncomfortable by a hen party.
I have on numerous occasions been slapped on the arse or grabbed and kissed by members of a hen party. It is usually just laughed at by all those around including management.
If that was a barmaid though being accosted by members of a stag... It would be seen by the very same people as an entirely different situation.

Keep complaining. Talk to guards. Talk about unsafe working environments etc.

Arthur Beesley

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller wrote: »

Here you go.

That story is a man slapping the bum of a woman, not the other way around.

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

It sure is..


..and isn't funny how when I reversed the sexes of the story, the notion of a woman getting eight months for slapping a man on the arse seemed so absurd that a user called "BS" on it.

Yet, when it was revealed that it was in fact a guy doing the arse slapping.. eight months in prison suddenly doesn't seem quite so absurd.

Oh yeah, we live in patriarchal society all right.