Politics
Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle star fined £3k for abusing BA staff after yelling ‘look up who my attorney general mum is’
A NETFLIX reality TV star has been fined £3,000 for abusing British Airways staff on a flight.
Matthew Mawhinney, 29, yelled “look up who my attorney general mum is” at a cabin crew member on a flight home from the Caribbean where he was filming the second series of ‘Too Hot To Handle’.
Matthew Mawhinney arrives at Uxbridge Magistrates Court for the trial earlier today[/caption]
Beaux Greenslade admitted abusive or insulting words and behaviour on the flight home from the Caribbean[/caption]
He was arrested alongside fellow contestants Harry Johnson, 28, and 23-year-old Beaux Greenslade on February 7.
The trio had been filming on the Turks and Caicos Islands before flying to Miami, where they were spotted downing margaritas as they waited for their connection to Heathrow.
Cabin crew on the BA flight asked Johnson and Greenslade to tone it down after they were seen “kissing and behaving intimately” in their seats.
One witness reported they were worried the pair were about to perform a sex act.
I’m a gold card holder – go and get me a drink
Matthew Mawhinney
The defendants became abusive after being repeatedly told to put facemasks on and being informed that the captain had decided they should not be served any more booze.
In a hearing at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court today, prosecutor Christelle McCracken told the court that stewardesses Heather Wenn and Sophie Griffiths had been the target of most of the abuse.
When Ms Wenn told Mawhinney he would not be getting any more drinks, he told her: “Go and f****** look up who my mum is – Baroness Scotland, I’m a gold card holder – go and get me a drink.”
Matthew Mawhinney is pictured with then partner and Love Island star Tina Stinnes[/caption]
Mawhinney’s mum Baroness Scotland had served as attorney general between 2007 and 2010 after being appointed by Gordon Brown[/caption]
He screwed up the written warning he had received from the captain and threw it across the cabin.
Mawhinney’s mum had served as attorney general between 2007 and 2010 after being appointed by Gordon Brown. She was the first woman to hold the post.
At one point during the flight, Mawhinney climbed into the aisle and started performing press-ups while the seatbelt sign was on, the court heard.
Greenslade, a legal secretary, also became abusive when she was told she would not be getting any more booze.
‘F*** THESE PEOPLE’
She told the stewardesses: “Take my f***** tray away, don’t you know I’m a f***** secretary, I will take your job away from you.”
When a passenger asked her to stop giving the crew a hard time, Greenslade replied: “Shut up you f****** c***.”
Johnson, a tree surgeon, called Ms Wenn a “b****” when he received a letter from the captain saying he was also barred from being served alcohol.
Greenslade was heard saying “F*** these people and f*** the captain”.
He also told the stewardesses “look at me when I am talking to you” and remarked to everyone how rude she thought the crew were.
Harry Johnson, a tree surgeon, called Ms Wenn a “b****” when he received a letter from the captain saying he was also barred from being served booze[/caption]
When they were told the police might be called upon landing, Greenslade replied: “Call the police, they won’t f****** do anything.”
Mahwhinney, of Mayfair, Westminster, admitted being a person on board an aircraft failing to obey the lawful commands of a pilot for refusing to put on a facemask.
He admitted a further count of using threatening, abusive or insulting words and behaviour.
‘DEEPLY ASHAMED’
Johnson, of Darlington, County Durham, and Greenslade, of Bexleyheath in south-east London, admitted the same charges.
In a letter to the court, Mahwinney apologised, saying he was “deeply ashamed” of his behaviour on the flight, adding: “This is the most shameful and embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me. I make no attempt to excuse what happened.”
Passing sentence, Judge Wright said: “You were at the end of a prolonged period of social confinement and that might have had some psychological impact on you and might have been the reason each of you behaved out of character.
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“You each acted with a profound sense of entitlement, you each acted without any consideration for the crew or the job they had to do.”
Each defendant was fined £1,500, ordered to pay £500 each to Ms Wenn and Ms Griffiths, and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £150 and £85 costs for their abusive behaviour.
They were ordered to pay a further £100 for refusing to put on their masks when told to by the captain.
