Oh so the poor man says he wasn't warned about passport regulations.
This is a bit like a shoplifter saying he wasn't warned about the laws regarding theft as he is carted off to the nick.
I have no sympathy for this man, except to say that having watched some of the television series about easyJet, I remember a case of someone going to Spain who presented a tatty passport and was not allowed to fly with EZY. We were told later that the person concerned had been to allowed to fly with another UK airline to Spain still using the same tatty passport.
There would appear to be a variation in standards in what different airlines will accept and I suppose it may well come down to the opinion of the check-in agent on the day.