Swalyn Barton-Cootes booted off plane at Melbourne for alleged crew member assault
A flight from Perth to Auckland was forced to divert into Melbourne so federal police could arrest a man who allegedly tried to “headbutt” the cabin manager.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Travellers were forced to “physically restrain” another passenger after he allegedly became aggressive and tried to headbutt the cabin manager on a flight from Perth to Auckland, forcing the captain to divert into Melbourne.
Swalyn Barton-Cootes, 23, was charged with one count of assaulting an Air New Zealand
cabin crew manager on a flight from Perth to Auckland on Tuesday night.
According to court documents, Mr Barton-Cootes allegedly “swore loudly in an aggressive manner” about an hour into the flight — which departed at 7.50pm Perth time — disrupting other passengers and prompting the cabin crew manager to issue him with a warning about his behaviour.
But during this warning, it is alleged Mr Barton-Cootes grabbed the manager’s arm, pulled himself out of his economy aisle seat and attempted to head butt the cabin manager’s head several times.
It’s also alleged the New Zealand national was intoxicated at the time.
The cabin manager “verbally calmed” Mr Barton-Cootes and walked him to the back of the plane, court documents suggested, but he was then “physically restrained by other passengers” due to his “ongoing aggressive behaviour towards other passengers”.
The captain diverted the flight — which had been set to land in Auckland at 5.16am AEDT — to Melbourne, where Australian Federal Police officers arrested Mr Barton-Cootes about 1.50am.
Dressed in a white hoodie, Mr Barton-Cootes appeared briefly at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Thursday without a lawyer.
When asked by Magistrate Stella Stuthridge why he was not legally represented he said he “did not know how the system works”.
Ms Stuthridge then asked Mr Barton-Cootes if he had any objection to media applications to which he replied: “I apologise”.
The court heard he intended to plead not guilty.
The maximum penalty for assaulting a crew member is 20 years behind bars.
The matter has been adjourned to be heard at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court next week, with his bail extended until then.
‘White Australia’ fundraiser raises $27k in just eight days
A crowd-funding page created by a controversial neo-Nazi figure has raised more than $27,000 to help “create a home for white people in Australia”.
Recruit tracker: ex-AFL talents join Northern league
OFF-SEASON CENTRAL: It’s a new year and the new local footy season is just around the corner. Check out the latest recruits at every Northern league club here.