Mum made the ‘worst decision of her life’ on Ryanair flight from Tenerife

A mum turned violent onboard a plane after her bottle of vodka was confiscated. Catherine Bellis was repeatedly warned to stop drinking the duty free alcohol during a Ryanair flight from Tenerife before she assaulted her boyfriend and a member of cabin crew.

Staff then had to “babysit” the rowdy passenger for the remainder of the flight while police waited for her on the runway at John Lennon Airport. The café worker now says that the drunken episode was “the worst decision of her life”.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Monday, that Bellis and her partner Christopher Kenny boarded Ryanair flight 4345 from Tenerife to Liverpool on November 26 last year and had initially been seated beside one another. But cabin crew member Julie Pemberton thereafter noticed the latter “with his head in his hands”, at which stage he indicated that he wished to be moved.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, described how he was relocated to a seat in the middle of the plane as a result. Bellis, of Meadowcroft Park in West Derby, was meanwhile noted to have been drinking from a duty free bottle of vodka which was in her possession and warned against doing so.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, described how he was relocated to a seat in the middle of the plane as a result. Bellis, of Meadowcroft Park in West Derby, was meanwhile noted to have been drinking from a duty free bottle of vodka which was in her possession and warned against doing so.

Beata Haynes, an “experienced member of cabin crew” who has worked for Ryanair for 17 years, was later serving drinks from a trolley when the 44-year-old defendant order a can of coke from her. But she then poured a quantity of her vodka into this soft drink, leading to a second warning for consuming the duty free alcohol onboard.

However, around 20 minutes later, Bellis was seen drinking from this bottle once again. This led to “matters escalating” when Ms Haynes asked her to hand the liquor over.

Having initially refused to do so, Bellis later gave the bottle to Ms Pemberton after the captain issued a warning via an onboard announcement. Bellis subsequently continued to ask for more alcohol throughout the rest of the flight, as well as searching the plane for Mr Kenny and calling him names.