A 23-year-old man was detained for 60 days in the United States after groping two flight attendants and attacking another. The incident happened in July 2021 on a Frontier Airlines flight from Philadelphia to Miami.
Maxwell Berry pleaded guilty to assault charges and received a $15,000 fine, in addition to two months of detention and one year of probation. According to the American newspaper ABC News, he will have until August 2 to replace himself.
The incident occurred after Berry ordered three drinks and tilted the empty glass onto the back of a flight attendant, who told her not to touch it. Maxwell spilled a drink on his shirt and went to the bathroom without a shirt on. According to the arrest report, the boy went around the cabin and grabbed the chest of two flight attendants as they were trying to help him.
After starting the fight, Berry had to stop with silver duct tape—a standard airline method for keeping someone out of control.
The lawyer, Jason Kreis, claims that Maxwell is a “good man who committed a bad act that was not planned”. According to US TV WPLG, the perpetrator apologized and took full responsibility for the actions taken at the trial yesterday.
The defense also contends that, because of the outcome of the case, the defendant is finding it difficult to find a job. “The case has attracted tremendous media attention, with Max’s efforts to find a job using his university degree in financial economics in vain as he has been continually denied positions without explanation.”
Judge Robert Scola Jr. Made it clear to Berry that such incidents may not cause flight attendants to feel unsafe at work. Jordan Gallarza and Timerah Burgess, two of the flight’s staff, said after the hearing that a 60-day sentence was not enough.
According to the New York Post, Galarza said, “My number one role on any plane is to protect the passengers, including Maxwell Berry, and we arrived in Miami safely that day.” “The people on that plane saw more justice being done than they do today. I think it’s a disgusting miscarriage of justice, in my opinion.”
Woman stopped with duct tape on plane
Also last year, A woman received the biggest fine in FAA (United States Federal Aviation Administration) history for attacking the crew and trying to open the door of an aircraft mid-flight. The crew had to tape the woman to a seat in order to control.
