Twins hauled before judge after row over vomiting derails plane | UK | News

Twin sisters have faced court after a drinking binge led to their flight being diverted to the airport, leaving their holiday in tatters and vomit covering the floor of a TUI passenger flight.

One of the twins, Laura Butterworth, displayed “incoherent, volatile and violent” behaviour and was eventually thrown off the plane at Manchester Airport after vomiting in the aisle and kicking things. Her sister Katie Butterworth was branded “argumentative” for failing to follow instructions to remain seated.

The 34-year-old university graduates caused chaos on board the plane as it prepared to take off for Fuerteventura. Describing the planned trip, Katie Butterworth’s defence told Manchester Crown Court: “The holiday was simply to have a week in the sun with her sister, which didn’t go as planned.”

The prosecution outlined the events, noting that on June 1 this year, the twins boarded the TUI-operated flight, choosing seats in different aisles but directly behind each other. An altercation broke out when Laura Butterworths’ bag fell into the aisle, spewing its contents and leading her to insultingly accuse the adjacent passenger of dropping it, the report said. The Manchester Evening News.

Described as “vile” by prosecutor Adam White, the ensuing feud between Laura and her own sister spread to her own sister. The purser decided to separate Laura Butterworth, who was deemed “completely incoherent” and “extremely volatile towards myself and other members of the crew”.

According to cabin crew testimony, mother-of-three Katie Butterworth claimed she had done nothing wrong by repeatedly getting up from her seat despite instructions to the contrary.

The manager decided to turn the plane around and return it to the terminal due to disruptive behavior, leading to the expulsion and arrest of two individuals.

After being accused, Katie Butterworth expressed her frustration: “I was caught in a trap with Laura, they couldn’t tell us apart. They treated us like the same person, everything she did was attributed to me the same way and I wasn’t the same person. I don’t like to put her in the mix but it’s not fair, it wasn’t like that.”

Katie Butterworth, of Redhill Drive in Stockport, admitted intentionally interfering with the duties of an aircraft crew member, while Laura Butterworth, of Lapwing Lane in Brinnington, admitted boarding a plane while under the influence of alcohol.

Katie Butterworth’s defence lawyer, Sarah Hussell, argued that her client had only consumed two glasses of wine before the robbery and was not “intoxicated”. She pointed out that Katie, who owns a “successful printing business”, had been under considerable stress before the robbery, having to homeschool her child and organise a payment plan for her debts.

“The holiday was simply intended to be a week in the sun with her sister, on the cheap, which did not go as planned,” Ms Hussell said. Naomi Duckworth, defending Laura Butterworth, said the defendant had expressed “deep remorse” for her actions, which were “totally out of character”.

She said Butterworth is currently unemployed but is “working through the recruitment process” for a job with the fire service, and they are aware of her conviction.

In sentencing, Judge Patrick Field KC addressed the twins: “Some people think it’s acceptable to drink to excess before boarding a plane and then inflict their pretentious and obnoxious bad behaviour on other passengers and crew. Well, that’s not the case.

“You are twins, you are both 34 years old, you are intelligent and educated women. You both should have known better than to behave the way you did.”

He told Laura: “You were so drunk that you were incoherent, unstable and rude. It is said that you described the behaviour of another passenger as vile. I think that epithet was perhaps more appropriate to describe your own behaviour on this occasion.”

Regarding Katie, who claimed she was not drunk, the judge noted: “You had drunk so much that your behaviour was less inhibited than it should have been.”

The two sisters were sentenced to 12 months of community detention.

Katie Butterworth was ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation. Laura Butterworth was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work.