'Aggressive and drunk' man had to be handcuffed by Cork Airport police, court told

The man had travelled from London to meet a friend in the airport, but hhe had not shown up

Cork Airport police had to call gardaí to deal with the passenger. 

Airport police in Cork had to call gardaí to deal with one passenger who had to be handcuffed because of the extent of his aggressive and drunken behaviour in the arrivals terminal.

The Lithuanian man who works as a window cleaner in London had travelled to meet a friend in Cork but there was no sign of the friend at the airport so the visitor kept drinking from the bottle of whiskey that he brought with him from the airport in London.

By the time airport police and gardaí encountered Ramunas Butkevicius, aged 41, of no fixed address, half the whiskey in the bottle had been consumed and the accused was highly intoxicated.

Judge Olann Kelleher said it was not acceptable to behave in this way, in particular in an airport where families with young children were present to witness it.

He imposed a €200 fine on him for being drunk and a danger and a suspended a two-month sentence for engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour. A charge of obstructing an authorised officer at Cork Airport under the State Airports Act was taken into consideration.

Sgt Pat Lyons outlined the background to the incident: “Garda Derek Murphy received a call to attend Cork Airport where a drunk male was refusing to leave the airport when requested to do so by airport police.

“On arrival at the scene, the man had been handcuffed by airport police as he was aggressive towards them and was causing a scene in front of other airport users in the arrivals terminal of the airport.

“Garda Murphy introduced himself to the man at the airport. Mr Butkevicius responded, 'Go fuck yourself' and made sexual comments towards him.

“Mr Trevor Murphy of the airport police said he had received a similar response. The defendant was shouting these responses in earshot of other members of the public who were using the airport.

“He had a half-empty bottle of whiskey with his possessions. He was slurring his words and there was a strong smell of alcohol from him. He was arrested and brought to Togher garda station where he continued to use abusive language towards gardaí and refused to provide any assistance in establishing why he was in Cork or where he resides.” 

Solicitor, Eddie Burke, was appointed to represent him on free legal aid and said the Lithuanian national had been living in London for the past 18 years and working as a window cleaner. He said Mr Butkevicius came to Cork to meet a friend who had not shown up at the airport.

“He has no convictions. He now realises he was in the wrong. There was a high level of intoxication. He got a flight from London. He was drinking in London and on the flight,” Mr Burke said.