A 48-year-old Northern Ireland man appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court yesterday evening charged in connection with an alleged air-rage incident.
Mr Michael McCallion, from Dunclug Gardens, Ballymena, Co Antrim, was arrested in Shannon Airport shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday after the plane he was travelling in was forced to divert due to an alleged incident on board a flight to Spain.
The case is due to proceed tomorrow at Tulla District Court in Co Clare.
The My Travel flight from Belfast to Las Palmas had 198 passengers on board and was just one hour into its journey when it was forced to make the unscheduled stop at Shannon.
Yesterday in court, Mr McCallion was charged with assaulting cabin supervisor Ms Catherine Gray contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act, and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour during a flight contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act.
He was also charged with being intoxicated on board a flight to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that he might endanger himself or others.
Ms Catriona Carmody, for the accused, told the court her client would be pleading guilty to all charges.
Judge Tom O'Donnell heard that Mr McCallion suffered a minor stroke recently and has been out of work since.
Ms Carmody asked that the case go ahead yesterday.
However, Insp Tom Kennedy said the State was not happy to proceed on the grounds that more serious charges may follow. He requested that the case go ahead tomorrow at Tulla District Court in Co Clare.
Ms Carmody said her client had no savings but his partner, who is staying in Shannon, had £500 and was willing to use this money for bail.
Ms Carmody said the accused was willing to hand in his passport and to stay in the Shannon area if bail was granted and would also agree to sign on at the local Garda station.
Judge Tom O'Donnell said he was treating the mater as "very serious" and remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail on his own bond of €500 and an independent surety of €2,500.