A MAN from the North of Ireland was tasered and arrested on an easyJet flight at Gatwick Airport bound for Belfast yesterday — in an alleged row over hand luggage.
The man, who reportedly had two pieces of hand luggage on the plane, has since been detained under the Mental Health Act.
After the man was removed, the other passengers were evacuated from the plane to allow officers to carry out a security sweep.
The flight, scheduled to depart at 8.20am, finally landed at Belfast International Airport just before 12.30pm.
A spokesperson for Sussex police said: “A man arrested on a flight waiting to depart from Gatwick on Thursday morning (August 20) has been assessed as mentally unfit to be interviewed or to be further detained in police custody.
"The 37-year-old man from Belfast was taken off the easyJet flight to Belfast shortly after 8am after being arrested by police firearms officers called to the aircraft by the crew. A taser was used to effect the arrest in the interests of the safety of the passengers, crew and the man himself.
"He was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace and obstructing/resisting a constable in the execution of their duty.
"He was taken into custody, but on Thursday evening, following examination by doctors, he was detained under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act for admission into a psychiatric unit for further assessment and treatment in the interest of his own health, safety and protection of others."
Niall Copeland, a passenger on board the flight, tweeted: “Man getting arrested on easyJet flight home to Belfast because he wants 2 pieces of hand luggage! I'll never mess with easyjet now!”
Man getting arrested on @easyJet flight home to #Belfast because he wants 2 pieces of hand luggage! I'll never mess with easyjet now!
— Niall Copeland (@NiallCopeland) August 20, 2015
An easyJet spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that police boarded flight EZY831 from London Gatwick to Belfast today due to a passenger behaving disruptively.
"Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard and always push for prosecution.
"The safety of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority."
