Air steward fired after paranoia bout

AN Aer Lingus cabin steward was fired after suffering a bout of paranoia in the middle of a transatlantic flight which he claimed was the result of inadvertently taking a cookie laced with marijuana the night before.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) in Dublin yesterday heard that the flight attendant, Miguel Saez Sanchez, believed passengers were taking photographs of him and laughing about him during a flight between San Francisco and Dublin on March 20, 2009. He was also convinced that fleas and lice were crawling all over his face and body.

Lawyers for Aer Lingus claimed they were correct to dismiss Mr Sanchez as his actions constituted gross misconduct. Mr Sanchez, 32, a Spanish national from The Way, Dunboyne, Co Meath, is taking a case against the airline for unfair dismissal. The tribunal is to issue a written decision on its findings.