HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — A British man has been fined US$2,500 after he was found guilty of being drunk, acting recklessly, and behaving in a disorderly manner on a plane, forcing the captain to divert the Cancun-bound flight to Bermuda last Friday.

Craig Dibby admitted in Magistrates’ Court to being drunk, acting recklessly, and behaving in a disorderly manner on the TUI flight. He apologised, saying he was drinking before the flight to celebrate and did not remember much of the incident.

“I don’t drink usually, but because it was my birthday and I was on vacation, for some stupid reason I thought I would start drinking at 9:30 am. I’m not a violent individual. My partner and my daughter are waiting for me in Cancun,” said the 32-year-old from Leeds.

The court heard Dibby was a passenger on a flight from Manchester in northern England to the Mexican resort when airline staff noticed him drinking heavily from a bottle of vodka he had brought on the plane.

During the fight he began to argue with his partner, loudly calling her a tramp and grabbing her by her neck.

He then cursed at another passenger following which airline staff took the vodka from him, but he continued to loudly curse, demanding they return the bottle.

The pilot diverted the flight to Bermuda where officers boarded the plane and arrested Dibby.

“That is not acceptable at all, and that comes with a price,” Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said, imposing the fine which must be paid in full before Dibby is allowed to leave the island.