Five British men convicted for brawl, threats on flight to Amsterdam
The Noord-Holland court convicted five British men for brawling on a plane at Schiphol in May. The case against a sixth man was dropped due to insufficient evidence. The fact that the men scared the other passengers, who were still in seatbelts and could not leave the plane, weighed heavily in the court ruling.
The plane from Manchester landed at Schiphol on May 5 at 8:30 a.m. During the flight, there were altercations between a group of four men, aged 24, 25, 35, and 35, and a group of two men, including the 33-year-old suspect.
When the plane landed, the captain decided to let the two men disembark first. Something was said, and the 33-year-old suspect punched the 25-year-old suspect from the other group. A fight ensued, in which the group of four grabbed and beat up the 33-year-old suspect. The captain and purser also sustained injuries while trying to break up the fight.
The court considered it proven that the group of four suspects committed public violence against the 33-year-old suspect, the captain, and the purser. The court fined them 1,000 euros each and sentenced them to 90 days in prison, 88 of which were conditionally suspended, with a probation period of three years.
The court considered it proven that the 33-year-old suspect assaulted the 25-year-old from the other group. The court blamed him for escalating the situation by striking the first blow.
The court fined him 500 euros and gave him a suspended prison sentence of 14 days with a probation period of two years. The fact that the man is on sick leave with mental health problems and doesn’t see his children anymore after this incident played a role in the ruling, the court said.
