Woman banned from airport after runway breach

A drunk Devon woman ran through a fire exit and onto an airport apron after she was not allowed on a flight, a court has heard.

Maisie Pearson and her friend had been denied boarding at Bristol Airport last November after the captain of the EasyJet flight to Amsterdam spotted her vaping on the airfield.

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard the 24-year-old of Raleigh Drive, Cullompton, Devon, and her friend became verbally abusive and shouted offensive language at police officers at the airport gate.

The court was told Pearson, who was crying and screaming, ran through a fire exit leading to the airport apron where aeroplanes are parked before flying, and was tackled to the ground by officers.

The court heard Pearson also spat towards a police officer and was then placed in leg restraints with a spit hood put over her head to protect the police.

The prosecution said running onto the airfield apron caused a risk to a "great many people and aircraft".

Lawyer Bradley Axam, defending, said Pearson was highly emotional, remorseful and had no previous convictions.

Pearson admitted assaulting the police officer by spitting and using threatening, abusive words and behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm of distress.

Magistrates told Pearson: "You were in drink and lost your temper.

"You went off the rails through drink and were angry you lost your holiday."

Pearson was given a 12 month community order with a 90-day alcohol abstinence programme and £200 compensation to the police officer.

Pearson has been banned from EasyJet and Bristol Airport for five years.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].