RIM exec forced plane into lockdown; court transcript
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 468
Likes: 40
From: Canada
RIM exec forced plane into lockdown; court transcript
Good Morning All:
A very good article by Vanessa Lu of the Toronto Star on the dangers of mixing alcohol and prescription sleeping pills.
Vanessa Lu Business Reporter:
Two drunken RIM executives mixed alcohol with prescription sleeping pills causing such a serious disturbance that their Air Canada flight was forced to land in Vancouver, according to a court transcript.
Crown counsel Gerri-Lyn Nelson painted a frenzied scene aboard flight 31— a Toronto to Beijing journey — where passengers had to help flight attendants, more than once, subdue the men, who fought to get out of their restraints.
In the final 80 minutes of the flight, the plane was in complete lockdown, with no passengers allowed out of their seats.
During the Nov. 30 hearing, Nelson told B.C. Provincial Court Judge Ronald Fratkin that George Campbell and Paul Alexander Wilson were extremely unruly and belligerent to passengers and the airline crew, kicking seats, yelling and swearing.
Wilson attempted to break the plastic restraints with his mouth for an hour or two, and “they ultimately chewed through the restraints,” she said in court.
“Violence on an aircraft is something that everybody worries about as we fly and as evidenced by the security that we now have to go through just to get on the plane,” Nelson said.
“This wasn’t just being drunk, sort of a happy drunk coming back from Mexico with a couple too many beer. This was way over the top,” the transcript reads.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 314 passengers and 17 crew members, was already north of Alaska, when the captain, who told police he had never seen anything like this in 38 years of flying, decided to turn the plane around.
“The captain didn’t think that Mr. Campbell even knew where he was,” Nelson said.
Campbell, 45, of Conestogo, Ont., and Wilson, 38, of Kitchener, each pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief.
According to the transcript, Campbell, who was vice-president, manufacturing, and Paul Alexander Wilson, who was vice-president, supply chain, were heading to China for business, one for a week, the other for two weeks.
Days after the incident, Research In Motion fired the executives, saying: “RIM expects that its employees conduct themselves in a manner reflective of our strong principles and standards of business behaviour.”
Robert Parsonage, the duty lawyer who represented the men, outlined for court that neither man had a criminal record in Canada or the United Kingdom. Both men were born in Scotland.
Wilson, who holds a master’s degree, is in Canada as a permanent resident, arriving in March 2010. Married with one child, Wilson earned about $10,000 a month, Parsonage said.
Campbell is in Canada on a work permit until April 2012 and was in the process of applying for permanent residency. Married with three children, he earned about $12,000 a month, the lawyer said.
Parsonage, who had sought a discharge for his clients, said alcohol and prescription drugs were involved. “There was an unfortunate mix there. They both acted in a very outrageous way but they’ve plead guilty to the charge,” he said.
Nelson quoted from passenger statements that alleged Wilson pushed a flight attendant, while Campbell threatened “to off people when they left the plane.”
Both men allegedly threatened passengers and crew, according to the statements.
Even though the crown didn’t seek restitution, the judge recessed the proceedings to get some numbers about the cost to Air Canada including in putting up passengers in Vancouver.
“These two men are going to have to carry with them the responsibility of paying for the inconvenience of others,” Fratkin said.
He sentenced them to suspended sentences, a year’s probation and ordered each to pay $35,878 in restitution to Air Canada. They are also barred from flying on Air Canada during that period, and other airlines may follow suit.
The judge hinted that the frequent business travellers “better get used to trains and buses and automobiles in their line of work.”
The judge said Air Canada could take civil action to recoup its full costs, which is estimated about $200,000, though a spokesperson told the Star the airline was satisfied with the court’s ruling.
Fratkin added: “I am, quite frankly, absolutely disgusted with the actions of these two individuals who know better and acted like absolutely — well, I can’t say it.”
Campbell declined to comment when reached at his home. Wilson could not be reached for comment.
A very good article by Vanessa Lu of the Toronto Star on the dangers of mixing alcohol and prescription sleeping pills.
Vanessa Lu Business Reporter:
Two drunken RIM executives mixed alcohol with prescription sleeping pills causing such a serious disturbance that their Air Canada flight was forced to land in Vancouver, according to a court transcript.
Crown counsel Gerri-Lyn Nelson painted a frenzied scene aboard flight 31— a Toronto to Beijing journey — where passengers had to help flight attendants, more than once, subdue the men, who fought to get out of their restraints.
In the final 80 minutes of the flight, the plane was in complete lockdown, with no passengers allowed out of their seats.
During the Nov. 30 hearing, Nelson told B.C. Provincial Court Judge Ronald Fratkin that George Campbell and Paul Alexander Wilson were extremely unruly and belligerent to passengers and the airline crew, kicking seats, yelling and swearing.
Wilson attempted to break the plastic restraints with his mouth for an hour or two, and “they ultimately chewed through the restraints,” she said in court.
“Violence on an aircraft is something that everybody worries about as we fly and as evidenced by the security that we now have to go through just to get on the plane,” Nelson said.
“This wasn’t just being drunk, sort of a happy drunk coming back from Mexico with a couple too many beer. This was way over the top,” the transcript reads.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying 314 passengers and 17 crew members, was already north of Alaska, when the captain, who told police he had never seen anything like this in 38 years of flying, decided to turn the plane around.
“The captain didn’t think that Mr. Campbell even knew where he was,” Nelson said.
Campbell, 45, of Conestogo, Ont., and Wilson, 38, of Kitchener, each pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief.
According to the transcript, Campbell, who was vice-president, manufacturing, and Paul Alexander Wilson, who was vice-president, supply chain, were heading to China for business, one for a week, the other for two weeks.
Days after the incident, Research In Motion fired the executives, saying: “RIM expects that its employees conduct themselves in a manner reflective of our strong principles and standards of business behaviour.”
Robert Parsonage, the duty lawyer who represented the men, outlined for court that neither man had a criminal record in Canada or the United Kingdom. Both men were born in Scotland.
Wilson, who holds a master’s degree, is in Canada as a permanent resident, arriving in March 2010. Married with one child, Wilson earned about $10,000 a month, Parsonage said.
Campbell is in Canada on a work permit until April 2012 and was in the process of applying for permanent residency. Married with three children, he earned about $12,000 a month, the lawyer said.
Parsonage, who had sought a discharge for his clients, said alcohol and prescription drugs were involved. “There was an unfortunate mix there. They both acted in a very outrageous way but they’ve plead guilty to the charge,” he said.
Nelson quoted from passenger statements that alleged Wilson pushed a flight attendant, while Campbell threatened “to off people when they left the plane.”
Both men allegedly threatened passengers and crew, according to the statements.
Even though the crown didn’t seek restitution, the judge recessed the proceedings to get some numbers about the cost to Air Canada including in putting up passengers in Vancouver.
“These two men are going to have to carry with them the responsibility of paying for the inconvenience of others,” Fratkin said.
He sentenced them to suspended sentences, a year’s probation and ordered each to pay $35,878 in restitution to Air Canada. They are also barred from flying on Air Canada during that period, and other airlines may follow suit.
The judge hinted that the frequent business travellers “better get used to trains and buses and automobiles in their line of work.”
The judge said Air Canada could take civil action to recoup its full costs, which is estimated about $200,000, though a spokesperson told the Star the airline was satisfied with the court’s ruling.
Fratkin added: “I am, quite frankly, absolutely disgusted with the actions of these two individuals who know better and acted like absolutely — well, I can’t say it.”
Campbell declined to comment when reached at his home. Wilson could not be reached for comment.
