Insurance man spared jail after triggering smoke alarm on Ryanair flight to Dublin
Garda Sandip Shrestha said he charged the accused with offensive behaviour on the fight and setting off the smoke alarm, and the accused replied, 'You are chatting s**t'
An insurance broker who triggered a smoke alarm on a London Stansted – Dublin flight after aggressively ignoring cabin crew just before take-off has been spared jail and a criminal record.
Father of two, William Horn, 29, of Stone Rings Lane, Harrowgate, England, pleaded guilty on June 2 to charges under the Air Navigation and Transport Act following his arrest the previous day at Terminal 1, Dublin Airport.
Judge John Brennan had said that if Horn donated €500 to a Dublin charity which has assisted people affected by homelessness and addiction, he would be spared a criminal record.
The judge warned that failure to pay would result in recorded convictions and fines totalling €800.
William Horn. Photo: Tom Tuite
Horn was released on €300 bail and excused from attending when the case resumed today.
Judge John King noted his colleague's order and was shown a receipt of payment by defence solicitor Edward Bradbury.
He applied the Probation of Offenders Act.
Earlier, airport-based Garda Sandip Shrestha said he charged the accused with offensive behaviour on the Ryanair flight and setting off the smoke alarm, and the accused replied, 'You are chatting s**t'.
Judge John Brennan heard that Horn came to Ireland for a birthday party which he missed by being held for the night in Garda custody before his court hearing.
William Horn. Photo: Tom Tuite
Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 13 2025
Garda Shreshta said on June 1, he received a call from cabin crew about 'a disruptive passenger' on the flight. Garda Shreshta learned that Horn was in the toilet, and 'a plume of smoke set off the smoke alarm inside the plane'.
The captain also confirmed to the garda that the alarm was also activated in the cockpit.
Judge Brennan heard that it started in Stansted when the aircraft was taxiing to the runway.
The seatbelts signs were activated but Horn 'ignored the cabin crew's instructions and went to the toilet, and walked by the cabin crew in an aggressive manner'.
Defence solicitor Edward Bradbury told the court his client, who remained silent during the hearing, was pleading guilty and from his perspective, it had been 'somewhat an ordeal and in his own mind a misunderstanding'.
The garda agreed with Mr Bradbury that the aircraft was about to take off when Horn decided to go to the toilet.
The accused had no prior convictions in Ireland.
Mr Bradbury said his client has been 'chastened' by this ordeal.
The court heard there was no evidence of intoxication, and Horn insisted he was not smoking in the toilet. However, the solicitor acknowledged that, at the very least, the issue had a smattering of recklessness all over it.
The solicitor said it happened when the aircraft was taxiing for take-off, which was aggravating circumstances for the flight attendants.
Judge Brennan had said it happened in a confined environment where people were vulnerable, but on the scale of these offences, it ranked at the lower end.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Teen (13) speeding on e-scooter ‘drove recklessly' to avoid capture by Gardaí
The teenager was eventually caught and is now being dealt with through the Juvenile Diversion Programme The teenager was apprehended by Gardaí and the e-scooter was seized. Photo: An Garda Síochána Kildare A teenage boy who was caught speeding on an e-scooter in Co Kildare refused to stop for Gardaí and "drove recklessly' in order to avoid capture. While on patrol in Newbridge in Co Kildare, the Naas Roads Policing Unit spotted a young teenager driving an e-scooter travelling at speeds of up to 50kmh on the R445, despite the law stating that e-scooters must not exceed 20kmh. The teenager was apprehended by Gardaí and the e-scooter was seized. Photo: An Garda Síochána Kildare News in 90 Seconds - June 21st Additionally, e-scooters can only be driven by those aged 16 years and over and must not be fitted with a saddle. The 13-year-old driver of the e-scooter refused to stop for Gardaí and 'drove recklessly' in an attempt to avoid capture by Gardaí. The young teenager was finally apprehended by Gardaí and will now be dealt with under the Juvenile Diversion Programme, while the e-scooter was seized. "E-scooters are not toys, they are motorised vehicles and must be used responsibly,' said a Garda spokesperson. 'Misuse can lead to serious injury and legal consequences. "Let's work together to keep our roads safe.'
Sunday World
5 hours ago
- Sunday World
Dad with 53 convictions jailed for sexually exploiting girl he used to babysit
In her victim impact statement the young woman said her life spiralled after the abuse. A 49-year-old Laois father has been jailed for two years for defilement and sexual exploitation of a child he used to babysit. The man, who is Irish heritage but was born in the UK before moving to Ireland as a child, pleaded guilty to defilement of the 15-year-old girl and obtaining a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Co Laois, on dates in 2021. The man, who cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of his victim, was sentenced to two years after appearing in Portlaoise Circuit Court this week. The court heard he had 53 previous convictions for offences including indecency, animal welfare offences, public order offences, indecent communication, breaches of barring orders and road traffic offences. He sat with his head bowed in court as the victim and her family members looked on during his sentencing hearing on Thursday. In her victim impact statement the young woman said her life spiralled after the abuse. 'I was having thoughts that I wanted to take my own life. I couldn't concentrate in school and was thinking about suicide.' She said she started skipping school and running away from home in the aftermath. 'My family did everything they could to get me the help I needed.' She said she got counselling but some days would battle to get to sleep at night. I kept getting nightmares thinking about it. I still think about it. I will never forget what happened.' Detective Garda Ray Dermody told Judge told Judge Keenan Johnson that the girls father reported her missing on November 11 2021 and spoke to gardai again the following day to say he believed she was at the man's house where they later found her. Days later she revealed to gardai that the man had sex with her in the house while she was there and had also digitally penetrated her on another occasion earlier that month. The man was a brother of an ex-girlfriend of the victim's father and the court heard the man previously babysat her and had been chatting to her online and by phone with the conversations turning sexual and very intense. He called her at 6.30am on November 2, 2021 but she missed the call and called him back. The court heard he told her to come out to his house and she initially said she didn't know if she would because she had to go to school. However, he convinced her to ditch school to go to his home. When she arrived he stripped down to his underwear and told her to take her clothes off. He kissed her and took off her underwear before digitally penetrating her. The court heard the girl felt confused after what happened and ended things by saying she needed to go to bathroom. She stayed in his house overnight before going home. On November 11 the man messaged the girl saying he missed her very much and she went over to his home. They went to the bedroom and got undressed before he kissed her and had sex with her. The girl made a complaint to gardai in the days after she was found at the man's home. He initially denied any sexual activity had taken place and said he saw himself as a 'sort of mentor' figure , an 'agony aunt' and a comforting shoulder but 'no more' than that. However, he later came clean and admitted everything. The court heard the man was previously married and had a number of children. He moved to Ireland when he was a child to stay with family here and in his adult life had sporadic work as a painter and gas fitter. In mitigation his defence counsel said the girl wasn't abducted by the man but accepted that society cannot condone his behaviour. Judge Johnson said the man actively initiated sexual contact with a girl who was 'clearly very vulnerable' and described the two offences as 'abhorrent.' He commended the young woman for coming forward and sentenced the man to two years imprisonment.
Sunday World
17 hours ago
- Sunday World
Elderly man (89) who sexually abused young girl jailed for ten years
Sid Green of Kennedy Park, Roscrea, was convicted of 22 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of the child Sid Green of Kennedy Park, Roscrea, was convicted of 22 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of the child, on dates between 1993 and 1998. He has no previous convictions. The injured party indicated to the court at a previous hearing that she has no issue with Green being named but she does not wish to be identified. She told the court how the damaging effects of the abuse had been 'far reaching and enduring' and had affected every facet of her existence. The court heard defence submissions that Green, who has recently been resident in a Co Offaly nursing home, has medical issues that would make custody difficult for him. He has been on bail and appeared via video link from the nursing home for his sentence hearings. The prison service have indicated that they will be able to take Green into custody on July 10 next and will be able to accommodate his medical needs. Passing sentence today Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said these were 'appalling offences' noting that Green coldly engaged in a cynical campaign of rape which he perpetrated whenever the opportunity arose. He noted that there has been no remorse shown. Mr Justice McGrath noted the profound impact the offending has had on the woman's life. He said she is a young woman who has shown remarkable resilience and strength and he commended her for the manner in which she dealt with the case and gave her evidence. The CCJ in Dublin. News in 90 Seconds - June 20th He noted the support the young woman had from her husband and parents throughout the process. He noted defence submissions that due to his age any custodial sentence is in effect a life sentence for Green, that he has no prior convictions and that there had been no violence additional to the inherent violence of rape. He said the difficulty which arose in this case was the age of the accused, with the only mitigating factors being his absence of prior convictions and that he had been a productive family man. Mr Justice McGrath set a headline sentence of 16 years, which he reduced to 15 years taking into account the circumstances of the case. He noted that the prison service had liaised with Green's carers and the prison service had formed the view they can accommodate him and deal with his needs from July 10, 2025. Mr Justice McGrath said he had considered the medical reports in the case and while Green has a considerable range of medical difficulties, most are those that would be expected for a man of his age. He said the difficulties mostly relate to mobility and ensuring that Green takes his various medications. Mr Justice McGrath imposed the 15 year sentence, and taking into account Green's advanced age, suspended the final five years of the sentence. It will take effect from July 10, 2025. Detective Garda Oliver Hennelly told George Burns BL, prosecuting, that the woman reported to gardai that the offending began when she just turned seven. Green was 57 years old. The women reported that Green took any opportunity he could to rape her and that it happened many times. The abuse ended when she was about the age of 12 years old. The woman subsequently engaged with mental health services and the rape crisis centre but did not feel ready to go to gardai until after she disclosed the abuse to her own family. The woman made a complaint to gardai in 2020 and when Green was interviewed in 2021, he denied the allegations. He was charged in 2022 and found guilty following a trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Tullamore earlier this year. In her victim impact statement, the woman described the profound and devastating effects that the abuse continues to have on her life as a result of the emotional and psychological damage caused. She described how she battles with fear and trust and how her relationships with family, friends and loved ones have suffered. She outlined how anxiety has transferred into her own parenting. She suffers with depression, flashbacks and nightmares, feels isolated and misunderstood, leaving her with a profound sense of loneliness. She described how she found temporary escape in drugs and alcohol but recognised this led to a destructive cycle, creating a barrier between her and loved ones. She told the court how she felt shame and guilt, despite being the innocent victim in the situation. She said the long term consequences of the abuse are still unfolding but she is determined to seek healing and support. She thanked those who have supported her, especially her husband and said she is ready to 'confront the shadows of the past and step into a hopeful future together.' Dermot Cahill SC, defending, said that Green had moved to Ireland from the UK, raised a family here and had a good work history. His wife passed away in 2013. Counsel asked the court to take into account that the offences occurred over a defined period in the past and Green was now facing sentencing as a 89-year-old man. He outlined a number of medical issues currently affecting Green. He said Green is unable to mobilise or get out of bed without assistance and needs ongoing nursing, which he receives in the nursing home. He submitted that prison will create difficulties for Green from a health perspective. He asked the court to take into account his client's co-operation with gardai and a lack of prior convictions.
