This article is from page 12 of the 2006-01-03 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A 29-YEAR-old Galway woman has appeared before a special sitting of Ennis District Court, charged in connection with a disturbance on board a flight into Shannon on St Stephen’s day.
Erin Curran, of Cloniffe, Moycullen, Galway, and also with an address in Quincy, Massachusetts, is facing three charges arising out of an alleged incident on board an American Airlines flight number 212 from Boston to Shannon.
She is charged with engaging in behaviour of a threatening, abusive or insulting nature; of being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft, and is also accused of engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, under the Air Navigation and Transport Act.
Garda Brian Lenehan told the court he arrested the accused at Shannon Airport at 8.10am on December 26, after she disembarked from the aircraft.
The court heard that in reply to one of the charges, she said, “I did and I sat down the back with a crew member for the rest of the flight, so whatever. Who gives a f***”. She made no comment to the other two charges.
Defending solicitor William Cahir said his client came home from the States to visit her terminally ill father.
Free legal aid was granted to the accused.
Judge Joseph Mangan remanded Ms Curran on continuing bail, to appear again in court later this month.