Businessman ranted at air hostesses and an Australian backpacker after he was refused eight cans of Stella Artois
Lance Wheelwright terrorised staff and fellow passengers with his foul-mouthed outburst
A BUSINESSMAN unleashed a foul-mouthed racist rant at two air hostesses and an Australian backpacker after he was refused EIGHT cans of Stella Artois aboard a holiday jet.
Drunken Lance Wheelwright, 33, now faces jail after terrorising staff and fellow passengers with his threatening attack.
Witnesses say he was behaving ''like a man possessed'' and lunged at terrified air stewardess Lois Hughes on board the Flybe aircraft from Amsterdam to Manchester.
He screamed:"I'm going to kill her, I'll wait outside Manchester Airport you f***ing b**ch whore."
He then manhandled senior air stewardess, Catherine Singer as he was trying to leave the plane, telling her "get out of my way you fat b**ch".
When Aussie tourist Callum Craig - who was on a backpacking trip to the UK - tried to intervene, Wheelright, squared up to him and said: ''Mind your own business c*** I'll smash you, you fat Australian c***. I've got the world with me you c***."
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The Liverpudlian, who runs a car wash was arrested later after getting off the plane.
At Manchester magistrates court Wheelwright, from Whiston, Liverpool admitted charges of racially aggravated threatening behaviour, insulting behaviour and assault by beating but a district judge ordered his case be transferred to crown court as he felt his sentencing powers were insufficient.
District Judge Sam Goozee told Wheelwright: "This is a heavily intoxicated gentleman presenting threatening behaviour towards cabin crew and distracting them from responsibilities which then places the aircraft and other passengers at risk.
"He then continues his behaviour towards a perfectly innocent passenger and that passenger is threatened and racially abused.
"I consider the whole combination means you must be given a longer custodial sentence than this court can impose.
"In relation to these offences you were in a heavily intoxicated state and used threatening behaviour towards a fellow passenger and cabin crew.
''Your behaviour started during the landing process causing cabin crew to be disturbed from their responsibilities that in turn is a further aggravating factor -you presented a risk.
This is a heavily intoxicated gentleman presenting threatening behaviour towards cabin crew and distracting them from responsibilities which then places the aircraft and other passengers at risk.
District Judge Sam Goozee
"You continued your behaviour whilst on the ground and when challenged by another, and rightly so for that matter - you retaliated with racial abuse.
"You should expect to receive immediate custody for this offence."
The incident occurred on November 10 last year after Wheelwright had been visiting the Dutch capital.
During the flight he asked Miss Hughes to keep the change from an in-flight transaction ''because she was beautiful'' - but she then heard him make a rude comment about her colleague.
Prosecuting, Kate Gaskell said: "He was being loud and lairy throughout. Catherine Singer has worked for Flybe for 16 years and is a senior crew member.
"She said the flight from the Netherlands had no issues initially. Mr Wheelwright was given some water but he started to get more aggressive and it escalated once the plane itself landed.
"He asked to be served eight cans of Stella Artois and started to call her "a f***ing bitch" and she had to go to the back of the plane to compose herself.
"He was asked several times about his behaviour and he would quieten down before starting again.
"He did apologise and said he was out of order. He put his hand out and she accepted his apology.
"But when they were landing his behaviour was escalating. He knocked something back as if it was an alcoholic substance, although he had not been served alcohol. When the plane landed his behaviour escalated again.
"Miss Singer was informed that he was kicking off and she could see a scuffle but her path was blocked by passengers. She thought he was trying to get to Ms Hughes. He said 'I'm going to kill her, I'll wait outside Manchester Airport you f**king b**ch whore'.
"She said he was like a man possessed and she could see his face full of rage.
''The behaviour started during the landing process. There's evidence that one of the flight attendants at the rear of the plane was panicking because it was kicking off and it then escalated on the ground.
''Callum Craig was a passenger who asked him to calm down.
"He was backpacking across the city and was on the flight. The defendant was being disrespectful to cabin crew members and to the male himself.
"He told Mr Craig ''mind your own business c*** I'll smash you, you fat Australian c***. I've got the world with me you c***.
"He was trying to get very close to Mr Craig. Mr Craig describes being scared for his safety, the aggressive way in which he wanted to get to him made him feel like he wanted a fight.
"Eventually he began to walk down the aisle and used his body to push past Catherine Singer and said 'get out of my way you fat b**ch'. Security were then contacted due to the behaviour of Mr Wheelwright.
"Mr Craig's victim personal statement says 'I thought the male's behaviour was completely unacceptable. In my opinion his behaviour was sexually aggressive. In relation to the behaviour towards myself I felt scared for my safety. I definitely felt the male wanted to assault me."
I'm just thankful this happened on the ground. I felt it could have had devastating consequences.
Air hostess
Miss Gaskell added: ''The behaviour started during the landing process. There's evidence that one of the flight attendants at the rear of the plane was panicking because it was kicking off and it then escalated on the ground.
"The racial abuse and threatening behaviour towards Mr Craig happened when the plane had landed. It's a sustained incident during the course of landing of an aircraft.''
In a statement Miss Singer said: "In 16 years I've dealt with drunk and disrupt passengers but what I experienced was the first time I have ever been spoken to in that manner or physically assaulted. I'm just thankful this happened on the ground. I felt it could have had devastating consequences."
Miss Hughes said: ''I have only been a cabin crew member for a short time but I have never heard anything like that in my life in general.
"It terrified my to think this incident could have been airborne. I felt like I didn't want to go back to work tomorrow.'
In mitigation for Wheelwright defence lawyer Andrew Egerton said: "People can behave very differently when they are heavily intoxicated, when they hear what complainants have said they feel guilty.
"Alcohol does have a greater impact when they are in the air. To his credit he had entered guilty pleas.
"In his own words his behaviour was absolutely horrendous, he's utterly disgusted and ashamed.
"He wishes not only to apologise to the three complainants but to any other passengers affected by his behaviour."
Wheelwright will be sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, on February 2.
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