A Northern Ireland resident, James Noble, who disrupted an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Seattle on June 19, has been sentenced on Wednesday.
Department of Justice, in a statement, said Mr Noble, 35, spent roughly 10 days in King County Jail and Federal Detention Center (FDC) after he disrupted the flight.
It noted that Mr Noble was on home detention with electronic monitoring at a rented residence in Seattle since he was released from FDC.
US District Judge Lauren King, who accepted the recommendation of a time-served sentence, said, “Your behavior impacted all the people on the flight. The flight attendants’ actions were admirable and ensured the safety of all on board.
According to the statement, court filings showed that Mr Noble was impaired by alcohol and additional medications he took while on the flight.
It noted that he first assaulted a person sitting beside him, attempting to force a pill on her and then spilled a drink on her.
The department noted that Mr Noble pleaded guilty to interference with flight crew members and attendants on August 19.
“After consuming a large amount of alcohol and a prescription medication, Mr. Noble became disruptive, threatening to fight other passengers and flight attendants. While no one was seriously injured, the seriousness of this behavior should not be minimized.
“No one should be subject to bad and borderline violent behavior while locked in a metal tube at 30,000 feet, with no way to escape the disruptive behavior. And Mr. Noble certainly should have known better as a licensed pilot himself,” prosecutors wrote.
Prosecutors added that Mr Noble’s conviction would have other collateral consequences on his ability to freely travel and pursue his current employment.
While victims continued to provide information on restitution for possible injuries, a hearing had been scheduled in late October to set restitution.
The department noted that Mr Noble was expected to voluntarily depart the US following sentencing.