A 29-year-old Irishman who misbehaved during a flight from Dublin to New York and exposed his rear end to a flight attendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of assault, the Justice Department said.
The man identified as Shane McInerney from Galway,reportedly refused to wear a Covid mask during a Delta Airlines flight on January 7.
A 29-year-old Irishman who misbehaved during a flight from Dublin to New York and exposed his rear end to a flight attendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of assault, the Justice Department said.
The man identified as Shane McInerney from Galway,reportedly refused to wear a Covid mask during a Delta Airlines flight on January 7.
The young man appeared before a judge in New York a week later and was charged with “intentionally assaulting and intimidating a member of a flight crew,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.
It said the suspect repeatedly denied to wear a mask, threw a beverage can and hit a passenger in the head, and “pulled down his pants and underwear and mooned a flight attendant and passengers.”
A court spokesman said that if convicted of this crime charge McInerney could be sentenced to 20 years in prison. McInerney was travelling to Florida to take up a job at a football academy and was released on $20,000 bail as he awaits trial.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in January 2021 it would observe a zero tolerance policy toward people who reject federal rules mandating mask-wearing on US domestic flights.
This came as flight attendants reported a high number of incidents of verbal and physical abuse from travelers who refuse to wear a mask.