Bath lecturer quits her job after ‘Bridesmaids’ style drunken plane meltdown

A lecturer at a top university has quit in disgrace after slapping a policewoman in the face as she was kicked off a plane for being drunk.

Mum-of-three Leah Wild, 44, who taught sociology at the University of Bath, started downing duty free Jack Daniels and brandy when her holiday flight was delayed.

The Ryanair plane, carrying 184 passengers to Faro in Portugal, was stuck on the tarmac at Bristol for three hours because of a strike by French air traffic controllers.

A court heard that Wild and friend Reuben Crowe, 23, became “clearly drunk” and were talking loudly and listening to loud music.

The cabin crew told the captain and he gave them 10 minutes to calm down and told them they would be removed from the aircraft if they failed.

When the pair refused police were called and two female officers boarded the plane and told them to stop drinking or face arrest.

But they started shouting and swearing and another passenger got so distressed they had to leave the plane.

Crowe had to be restrained in his seat and handcuffed as he was arrested and Wild began guzzling from a bottle of brandy.

She was grabbed from behind by a police officer and as she was marched down the aisle to the exit, she slapped the arresting officer in the face.

Neil Treharne, prosecutor, said: “When the policewoman asked what was wrong she was answered with abuse.

“They were waving their arms around, tossing their heads, swearing and were clearly drunk.

“The pilot was not happy to take them.”

Bristol Crown Court heard that Wild, who had been at the University of Bath since 2003, quit her post as director of studies immediately after the incident in April last year.

Before that she was a visiting lecturer at the University of the West of England and taught social theory courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Wild’s updated Facebook entry gives her current city as Twatt, Shetland Islands, and her hometown as Asse, Belgium.

Under the heading “other places lived” she had put Fanny, West Virginia and Bald Knob, Arkansas.

Wild pleaded guilty to being drunk on a plane and assaulting a police officer.

Crowe admitted being drunk on a plane and obstructing a police officer.

They were each sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 80 hours community work.

The pair, both from Stroud, Gloucestershire, who knew each other but were not going on the same holiday, were also banned from Bristol Airport for a year.

Wild was ordered to pay £500 compensation and Crowe, who is currently unemployed and lives with his parents, was told to pay £250.