Michael Cunnett Downs Four Beers, Goes On Homophobic Rant On Plane, Fights With Flight Crew — On His Honeymoon
A newlywed English man got his honeymoon off on the wrong foot by going on a homophobic rant and tussling with the flight crew on the way to his destination, Yahoo Lifestyle reports. This was all after downing four beers before getting on the plane.
Michael Cunnett of Epsom, England, was apparently not willing to let the post-wedding party come to an end just because he was getting on a plane. Specifically, according to the Daily Mail, he downed four pints (a pint being roughly equivalent to a 16-ounce bottle) of Stella before boarding the 9 a.m. EasyJet flight to Egypt.
Things went sour for the 38-year-old when he pulled out an electronic vaporizer — colloquially referred to as an e-cigarette — which is, of course, not allowed on most passenger aircraft. Flight attendant Andre Botha asked him to put it away, but Cunnett wasn’t having it. Instead of complying, he called Botha homophobic slurs and punched him twice.
“He didn’t know my sexuality, but I am a gay man and proud of it.”
Another flight attendant, Christopher Bogley, tried to intervene, taking two punches from Cunnett for his efforts.
By this time, London police had boarded the aircraft to remove Cunnett. He didn’t spare the London cops abuse either, calling one of them a “baldy c**t” as he was being dragged away.
Meanwhile, his new wife berated him for ruining the honeymoon as he was being carted off in cuffs.
“Look at what you’ve done. You have f****d off our honeymoon!”
Drunk groom thrown off honeymoon flight for homophobic attack on cabin crew https://t.co/TuKiAExKj6 pic.twitter.com/3iVWz32vuA
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 3, 2019
This week, Cunnett was brought before Lewes Crown Court to answer for the February incident.
His lawyer, David Forsyth, didn’t offer much in the way of his client’s defense, saying that Cunnett was “fully aware that his behavior was reprehensible” and was “thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed.”
Judge David Rennie wasn’t particularly sympathetic, saying that Cunnett’s drinking, rather than bringing out the worst in him, merely betrayed his “true character.”
“It was like a child having a tantrum. You chose to drink four pints and to behave in a foul-mouthed, highly abusive manner. Something of your true character did reveal itself.”
Cunnett pleaded guilty to interfering with the performance of cabin crew, two common assaults, and criminal damage. Rennie sentenced him to seven months in prison, as well as a £1,000 (approximately $1,308) fine, with £500 (approximately $654) each going to Botha and Bogley.
It remains unclear, as of this writing, if Cunnett and his wife remain married.
