Louise Dixon, 51, got drunk because she thought the flight would be busy (Picture: SWNS/ PA)

A woman was handcuffed for six hours after assaulting two women and an eight-year-old boy during a flight from Miami to London.

Louise Dixon, 51, got drunk before her Virgin Atlantic flight after hearing that it would be busy, causing her to act ‘very strangely’ just 20 minutes into the journey.

She then raised her fist as if to punch one passenger, before throwing a full bottle of water at a child, who had been sat two rows behind her with his mum and sister.

The college worker then lashed out as crew members and other travellers struggled to restrain her, causing the pilot to consider rerouting the plane to land in New York.




Dixon now faces jail time after admitting to being drunk on board the flight on April 12.

She also admitted to assaulting passengers Jackie Allen, Gabriella Cotton and a boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Syreta Maharaj, prosecuting at Uxbridge Magistrates Court, said: ‘I would say it’s a prolonged incident, obviously passengers on board a flight are trapped.

She threw a water bottle and it hit a boy in the face (Picture: SWNS)

‘I would note the behaviour continued for around six hours and in fact handcuffs had to be used on her.

‘There were lots of children on the flight and in fact one of the charges relates to a child in which she threw a bottle of water and it hit the child.

‘Ms Allen said she turned around in her seat and that Ms Dixon appeared to raise her fist to hit her.

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‘She confirms that 20 minutes into the flight the defendant’s behaviour was very strange. She said, “I found her behaviour was alarming, very frightening. She then turned in her seat in front of me and raised her fist to hit me.”

‘A man grabbed Ms Dixon by the wrists before she was able to and she was restrained. Cabin crew and passengers then helped to restrain her for the rest of the flight.’

The prosecutor then described how Dixon had launched the water bottle at the boy seconds after she was handed it by a member of cabin crew.

She continued: ‘He’s simply sitting on board the flight whereby the defendant in being offered a bottle of water by staff on board the plane has taken the bottle of water, which was full, and turned around and threw the bottle of water, which hit the eight-year-old boy, who was sat two rows behind her.

The court heard she was restrained for six hours (Picture: PA Images)

‘His mother stated she saw the bottle of water come flying through the air and it hit her son with some force on the left side of the head.’

Dixon then assaulted another female passenger as she struggled against her restraints in the aisle.

Ms Maharaj said: ‘She kneels down in the aisle, she then kicks out and kicks the hip of Ms Cotton.

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‘She goes on to state that the defendant then dug her nails into her wrists causing her injury and the defendant proceeded to spit at her.



‘The whole incident was quite shocking to them and obviously as I’ve said passengers are trapped on board. She had to be handcuffed and people are effectively trapped on board a plane.’

Paul Brill, mitigating, said his client suffered from alcoholism and the court heard she had one previous conviction of drink driving in 2012.

He continued: ‘It coincides with her divorce, with her very difficult relationship bringing up her children and from that time, over time a dependence of alcohol.

Dixon had been hoping to sleep on the flight (Picture: Getty Images)

‘She is a frequent flyer to the US, she has family contacts there and is usually hoping to be able to sleep within the flight.

‘She was told it was going to be very full and she lapsed. I think she experienced a certain amount of disappointment in herself in dealing with her anxiety like that.

‘This was a randomly lobbed bottle but obviously she has to plead guilty to that, it’s a very reckless act.’

He added: ‘She is mortified at being in this position.’

Magistrates chairman Sonia O’Connor released Dixon, of Ogmore-by-Sea near Bridgend, Wales, on unconditional bail to be sentenced next month.

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