Man avoids jail after biting police officer at Gatwick Airport

Monday, 30 September 2019 16:48

A man who assaulted an officer at Gatwick Airport by biting him after he was arrested for disrupting a flight has avoided jail. Kieran Croxley, 44, a labourer, of Howell Walk, Southwark in London had boarded an easyJet flight from Faro to London Gatwick on May 18. On being asked to fasten his seatbelt for landing, Croxley began verbally abusing cabin staff, some of which police said was racially motivated. The flight crew of the aircraft alerted police on their arrival at the airport, who met Croxley as he disembarked the plane. Police said when officers asked Croxley to follow them, he again became abusive, biting one of the officer's hands and digging his nails into the arm of another, breaking the skin. He also attempted to bite a third officer as he was handed into custody, according to police. He was subsequently arrested and charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress; behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner towards aircraft crew; and three counts of assault on an emergency worker. At Crawley Magistrates' Court on Thursday, September 26, Croxley pleaded guilty to all five offences. He was handed a sixteen week suspended sentence and ordered to pay a £900 fine, £450 costs and a total of £325 in compensation to the officers he assaulted. Croxley was arrested as part of Project Disrupt - an annual campaign run by Sussex Police to combat drunken and disruptive behaviour. Inspector James Biggs, of the Gatwick Prevention Team, said: "This sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable. "No member of aircraft crew, nor their passengers, should have to experience such abuse. Nor should any emergency worker expect to be assaulted for simply carrying out their duties. "This case should serve as a reminder to passengers of their responsibilities before they board an aircraft. "Incidents of drunken and disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated, and anyone who compromises this will be dealt with robustly."