Man thought police would kill him

A FLIGHT had to divert to Cork on New Year’s Day when the pilot feared for the safety of those onboard as a Finnish man lashed out violently, believing passengers were planning to inject him with drugs.

Janne Geohannes Lindross, aged 22, was not intoxicated, according to Sergeant Pat Lingane, who arrested him as soon as the plane landed in Cork.

Lindross had assaulted one passenger and engaged in threatening behaviour onboard the 7am Thomas Cook flight from Tenerife to Finland on January 1.

When Sgt Lingane boarded after 10am he found that crew and passengers had managed to handcuff Lindross to his seat.

When Sgt Lingane went to escort Lindross from the plane the young man believed the police were going to assassinate him.

Lindross, of Naolin, Katu, Salo, Finland, was in Cork District Court yesterday after two nights in custody.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace on board an aircraft in flight contrary to the Air Navigation Transport Act.

Judge David Riordan convicted and fined him €500 after defence solicitor Emmet Boyle urged the judge not to impose a custodial penalty for an offence which carries a four-month maximum jail sentence.