Bite, spit and froth at the mouth: the tumultuous Alicante-Manchester flight

A British national chose to make the three-hour flight from Alicante to Manchester into a hellish experience. Witnesses to the incident reported that several of the passengers’ antics, including biting and spitting while foaming at the mouth, caused them to lose patience and restrain him in mid-flight.

On November 8, 2023, Christopher B., 44, was travelling back to Manchester Airport from Alicante on an EasyJet flight when Manchester police came and discovered him face down on the ground, pinned down by other passengers. The passengers reported to the authorities that the disturbance had lasted for “about 30 minutes” and that the troublemaker had been “biting and spitting.”

It would seem that he had previously caused trouble on a flight. He had already entered guilty pleas to aggravated racial harassment and entering an aircraft while intoxicated. According to British media, the Briton has now been sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, about a year and a half after the tumultuous flight.

His attorney informed the court throughout the trial that he was “deeply ashamed” and wished to express regret for using such harsh language. According to the defence, his client was on vacation when he learnt that his mother had sepsis and was in critical condition at the hospital.

The defendant was “slurring his words” and “foaming at the mouth,” and the prosecutor claimed that passengers and crew could smell his “toxic substances” clearly. He also claimed that the children were shielded by the frightened family as the police attempted to restrain him, but he fought arrest by putting his arms beneath his body.

Christopher B. remained hostile while driving to the neighbourhood police station, yelling and threatening to “fuck” the cops while using derogatory language that was racial. To save him from hitting his head, another cop stepped into the back of the van and attempted to push him away. In response, the defendant said, “F*** you, motherf***er.” After that, he persisted in using racist language until they arrived at the police station.

The court who sentenced you said: “It is a deeply distressing and terribly frightening experience to be on a plane when someone like you behaves in a totally aggressive and difficult manner.”