Woman sexually propositions two men, headbutts crew during four-hour plane rampage

The incident began on May 9 shortly after flight EY21 had taken off from the United Arab Emirates. Photo / Nicolas Economou, Getty Images

A 20-year-old woman had to be physically restrained after going on a rampage during a flight from Abu Dhabi to Manchester. A medic who was headbutted by the passenger described the scene as "worse than anything he'd seen in A&E" when testifying at the woman's sentencing.

Demi Burton began her four-hour drunken spree on the jet by making lewd, sexual comments and propositioning two separate men on the Etihad plane. Burton shocked the cabin by asking the men to join her in the "mile-high club", according to the Mirror.

Having boarded flight EY21 already intoxicated, the unruly passenger continued to drink red wine until cabin crew refused to serve her.

The UK court was told how the defendant responded to this denial of further alcohol by saying: "You may as well just land the plane now then!"

After this point the woman embarked on a rampage that lasted for almost four hours before she could be restrained.

This was not before Burton had kicked out, mauled staff and bitten an off-duty anaesthetist who helped to restrain the passenger. It took six people to finally subdue the woman, according to a report in The Telegraph.

One stewardess was bitten on the forehead and struck on the chin.

Other passengers received bruising around the ribs and face during the sustained onslaught.

"It was a stressful situation but whilst I managed to remain calm and professional, it's not acceptable for crew members to be treated this way and not fair on the other passengers to witness things like this," said crew member Fouzia Naim.

"As a result of her being verbally abusive towards me and assaulting, I couldn't eat or drink anything whilst the flight was ongoing."

Prosecution told the court that it appeared the defendant "was drunk before getting on the flight and she started making a number of inappropriate sexual comments to a number of male passengers on the flight."

Burton's defence claimed she had been trying to calm her nerves and admitted the defendant had been drinking before boarding the aircraft on May 9. The 20-year-old was returning home from a three-month trip to Australia, and reported feeling anxious about returning to see her family.

While initially Burton's behaviour was shocking, it eventually turned violent after passengers and staff told her to be quiet.

The prosecution said two men she propositioned were alarmed by Burton's suggestion: "at first they laughed it off but it then became more and more increasingly inappropriate and she asked them to join the mile high club.

"Both tried to end conversation with her but she carried on.

"One said he felt quite shocked by her comments and people around her started to ask her to be quiet as others could hear."

Burton's defence lawyer, Martin Callery, said his client's actions were out of character and brought on by a fear of flying:

"She is thoroughly ashamed of herself and because she is remorseful, she is utterly embarrassed at the way she behaved. It is completely out of character as far as she is concerned.

"She went to Australia to get away from her family who have behaved towards her from her early years in a very controlling and very abusive way.

"She thought it was right fly back but was apprehensive about the arrival home and apprehensive about flying itself and had more to drink then was appropriate."

At the sentencing judge John Edwards handed Burton a six month term in prison and stressed the risk posed by the behaviour to the safety of all those on board the flight.

"Good order on any flight - in particular a long distance one - is essential and those who undermine that put that at risk by behaving in such crass way," he said.

"Your behaviour was unpleasant, violent and persistent over a lengthy period. So that a doctor, an anaesthetist by profession remarks in all his dealings in A&E had not witnessed such aggressive behaviour before.

"I'm afraid you have to be dealt with in a way that might deter others."