by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:42 AM ET, Fri July 26, 2019
A female traveler faces jail time after she allegedly got drunk before a Virgin Atlantic flight and became disruptive, assaulting two adults and an eight-year-old child.
According to The Independent, 51-year-old Louise Dixon from Wales was on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Miami to London Heathrow in April when she allegedly got drunk after hearing the plane was sold out and would be filled with other passengers.
Around 20 minutes into the flight, Dixon started acting strangely and lashed out at other passengers. Another person onboard named Jackie Allen was sitting behind the disruptive woman when she turned around and threatened to punch her.
A male passenger next to Dixon had to grab her wrists to keep her from punching Allen, but she still managed to throw a full water bottle that struck an eight-year-old boy in the side of the head "with some force."
Other passengers and crew members attempted to restrain her, with one person being kicked and spit on during the incident by Dixon. Attendants used handcuffs to control her for the remainder of the six-hour flight
The pilot reportedly considered turning the plane around and making an emergency landing back in the United States, but decided to continue the journey once Dixon was no longer a threat.
In court, Dixon pleaded guilty to the assaults and now faces jail time for her disruptive behavior. Her lawyers blame the incident on alcoholism brought on by a traumatic divorce.
"The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we will not tolerate disruptive or abusive behavior on board any Virgin Atlantic aircraft," a Virgin spokesperson said in a statement. "We continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and will always seek prosecution for those individuals that cause disruption to our services through unacceptable behavior."
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