Sean Falvey was arrested as the flight from Barcelona landed at Manchester Airport

Sean Falvey(Image: Cavendish Press)

A vodka-swigging easyJet passenger who called a bisexual airline cabin crew member a ‘po*f’ claimed he didn’t realise the word was homophobic. Sean Falvey, 59, sank duty free booze on the flight from Barcelona to Manchester Airport before being asked to fasten his seat belt.

During a rant as the plane was descending, Falvey, of Eustace Street, Chadderton, Oldham, said ‘people like you’ when talking to the flight attendant, adding: ”Do not be a po*f. We are getting home, we are going home.”

Police were called to the meet the aircraft when it touched down. When quizzed, Falvey denied being ‘inherently racist or homophobic’.

Click here to hear the latest from Manchester’s courts in our newsletter

Whil being taken into custody he called the arresting officers ‘gay boys’and said the Stockport village of Cheadle, where the police station was located, was ‘a place where P*kis live’.

In a statement the cabin crew member said: “I take the comment as being homophobic. As a bisexual man I should never be subjected to this. I have never been subject to this kind of homophobic abuse on any flight since working with easyJet.

“This is the first time I have received this abuse. This kind of abuse directly aimed at myself is unwanted and uncalled for.”

At Tameside Magistrates’ Court, Falvey – who claims Universal Credit and PIP – admitted being drunk on an aircraft and using threatening behaviour. He was ordered to pay the easyJet staff member £100 compensation; a £120 fine; and £133 in costs and a surcharge.

The court earlier heard the incident happened on September 9 last year. Falvey was flying home from Spain with his partner. Emma Sockett, prosecuting, said: “Police received a call from easyJet staff during a flight from Barcelona, requesting police assistance as there was a verbally aggressive passenger on board.

“Officers arrived at the stand and spoke with the cabin crew. Cabin crew informed the officers that the defendant prior to landing had been drinking and became intoxicated. When asked by staff not to he became disruptive and verbally abusive.

“Coming into land, he was asked to put his seat belt on. He gave homophobic abuse to a staff member. The defendant made the comment ‘people like you’ and other comments. This was taken by the victim as homophobic due to his sexual orientation.

“When police escorted the defendant off the aircraft, the defendant continued with the homophobic language. He said ‘all I said was, “do not be a po*f… we are getting home, we are going home”.’

“The offence is aggravated because the defendant was under the influence of alcohol purchased prior to the flight.”

In mitigation, Falvey’s solicitor Jasmine Ball said: ‘”My client is deeply remorseful and quite embarrassed about the incident. He had just been on holiday to Barcelona with his partner who was with him. He had consumed alcohol and had some swigs of a vodka bottle found by officers underneath the seat. He was quite honest with the officer.

“Even before the interview he confirms his admissions and confirmed what he said to the steward. He said on body cam that he called a guy a po*f. What he did not appreciate is, he says he was not aware that it carried a homophobic connotation. At no stage did he appreciate that it would be taken in that way, but in this day and age there are connotations.”

Miss Ball said legislation says that it does not matter what the defendant believed or meant by the word, it is the way it is received by the victim.

“It is not what you believe, it is what the victim believes it to be,” the solicitor added. “In my client’s case he said some words that were hurtful to the airline crew member and they should not be subjected to such words.

“My client has reacted to the steward touching his leg on a couple of occasions. The steward says he touched his leg to get his attention. My client was possibly under the influence and did not take it as such. Again, he reacted. He appreciates that was wrong.

“He is not inherently racist or homophobic. He is embarrassed by this. He has a daughter who has a female partner. He was absolutely devastated when he was charged with the offences.

”There were homophobic things said. It may not necessarily be the most severe kind of language but homophobic language none the less.”

Sentencing Falvey, chair of the bench Alex Walker told him: ‘”These were serious incidents. It is high culpability because it was a sustained incident which then continued beyond being taken from the plane by police and high harm because multiple persons were present on the plane.

“There is the aggravating factor in terms of the homophobic comment made to the member of the cabin crew as well. We are going to order £100 compensation to the member of the cabin crew who received abuse from you. We think that reflects the severity of it.”