A District Court judge has ordered that a photograph of a Northern Ireland man, convicted of "air rage" on board a holiday flight at the weekend, be sent to the International Civil Aviation Organisation in Montreal, Canada.
Judge Joseph Mangan made the order at Tulla District Court in Co Clare yesterday after he convicted Michael McCallion (48) of three charges arising out of the incident on a flight from Belfast to the Canary Islands on Saturday.
McCallion, from Dunclug Gardens, Ballymena, Co Antrim, was sentenced to three months in prison on each of two charges, while a third charge was "taken into account". The accused had pleaded guilty to all charges.
Judge Mangan suspended the sentences, however, if the accused agreed to enter a bond to keep the peace, and be of good behaviour for two years.
Judge Mangan also said that although the offences warranted a custodial sentence, he was taking into account McCallion's medical history, and the fact that he had not come to the attention of the police in a number of years.
McCallion was also fined a total of €1,700.
Yesterday he faced three charges; one of assault, another of disorderly conduct and a third of using threatening and abusive behaviour on board the aircraft.
MyTravel flight 921 was almost an hour into its journey to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria when a member of the cabin crew notified the flight supervisor, Ms Catherine Gray, that a man on board was drunk and was drinking alcohol from a lemonade bottle. Ms Gray went to speak to the passenger, who by this time had left his seat.
According to Ms Gray's statement, she asked McCallion if he was OK, to which he replied: "I want to piss. I need to piss, or do I have to do it down my leg."
Ms Gray took McCallion to a toilet, where he again told her: "I need to piss, I am not a penguin." Mr McCallion turned and raised his hands before pushing her with both hands in the chest.
"He then raised his left hand with his fist closed in a threatening manner," the court heard.
After McCallion raised his fist, a passenger intervened and asked him to "calm down". McCallion was persuaded to return to his seat, but any contact he had with Ms Gray after that was "threatening". It was after the captain was informed of this that he decided to request permission to divert to Shannon Airport.
The court also heard that as McCallion was leaving the aircraft at Shannon, he told Ms Gray: "I will not forget this; you haven't heard the last of this."