Facebook/Tanner Libby Tanner Libby jailed six months for drunken airplane assault.
Jeffrey “Tanner” Libby is a Texas college student jailed for six months after he drunkenly assaulted crew and a passenger on a British Airways flight to Dallas because his girlfriend broke up with him.
Libby, 21, was sentenced to six months in a British jail Thursday after pleading guilty to three counts of assault and one count of drunkness on an aircraft, The Daily Mail reported.
Libby, a Texas Christian University student, spat at passengers, assaulted a crew member, and bit another passenger after he drank a liter of Bacardi after his girlfriend dumped him via a text message.
Video posted online showed Libby being restrained by crew and passengers before the flight was forced to turn back to London, costing the airline 20 tons of fuel.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Tanner Libby’s Girlfriend of One Year Broke Up With Him Via Text Before the Flight
The incident was sparked by a breakup text Libby received from his girlfriend of one year, his lawyer told the court.
Libby, a journalism student at Texas Christian University, was flying home early from a trip to London to receive treatment for a skin condition, his lawyer told the court.
Libby downed a one-liter bottle of Bacardi rum after receiving the text and began to lash out.
2. Libby Punched a Seat, Assaulted a Passenger & Crew Members, Authorities Say
Prosecutor Olu Phillips told the court that Libby “was speaking increasingly loudly and swearing.”
“He reached across the aisle to a female passenger, grabbing her by the arm and squeezing it,” Phillips said. “She is the victim of the first assault. Members of the crew then came over to him.”
Multiple people were injured in the fracas.
3. Libby Also Bit a Passenger’s Finger, According to the Prosecutor
Libby began to spit and bite at crew members and passengers that tried to restrain him, Phillips said.
One passenger, Stephen Mumford, grabbed the man’s head. One of his fingers slid into Libby’s mouth and the student bit him.
Libby then squeezed the arm of an air hostess as she and Mumford struggled to restrain him.
4. Video Shows Libby Being Restrained Before the Flight Was Turned Back
A video shows crew and passengers restraining Libby.
The pilots decided to turn the flight around back to London with eight hours left in the trip.
The move cost the airline 20 tons of fuel and delayed hundreds of passengers just days ahead of Christmas.
5. Libby’s Attorney Argued for a Suspended Sentence, Saying His Client Had Been Attending Alcoholics Anonymous
Libby admitted in court to three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of drunkenness on an aircraft.
Libby’s attorney, Michael Wolkind, told the court that the student had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous and vowed to attend courses if he was given a suspended sentence.
Judge Robin Johnson rejected the lawyer’s request, sentencing Libby to six months in jail.
“Whether you were drunk when you boarded the plane or you became drunk doesn’t matter,” Johnson told Libby. “Nearly 200 passengers were severely inconvenienced the week before Christmas. On top of that those who behave in a drunk fashion not only are they dangerous, they frighten a lot of people. Against your personal mitigation it is my duty to state unequivocally that this behavior can not be tolerated. You assaulted a woman for no reason at all.”
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