TCU student makes British headlines as ‘sozzled Texan’ after drunk rampage on flight
A student from Texas Christian University was given six months in British jail after drunkenly assaulting crew and a passenger on a flight to Dallas.
Jeffrey “Tanner” Libby, 21, made British headlines after forcing a flight of 200 people to turn around as he assaulted passengers and crew, according to Metropolitan police in the United Kingdom.
Libby reportedly drank a bottle of Bacardi and became belligerent during the flight after his girlfriend broke up with him via text, the Heavy reported.
Libby, a journalism student, spat at and bit crew members trying to restrain him and squeezed a woman’s arm, according to The Daily Mail.
Video from the airplane shows multiple crew and passengers trying to restrain him. He reportedly bit one of the people trying to restrain him and was swearing loudly, the Mirror reported.
Libby’s behavior forced the pilot to turn around in the middle of the flight on Dec. 17. Everyone on the plane had to return to Britain instead of flying the remaining eight hours to Dallas, according to the Sun.
“Libby’s behaviour was extremely reckless and he put the safety of the passengers and crew on board at risk,” said Detective Inspector Matt East, from the Met’s Aviation Policing Command, in a press release.
“Not only that, but his actions caused considerable disruption and inconvenience for all those on board, and the airline had to rearrange flights for the 191 other passengers,” East said in the release. “Drunken, abusive and violent behaviour on board any flight is completely unacceptable.”
Libby, who the Sun referred to as “A SOZZLED Texan,” pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and one count of being drunk on an airplane. He was sentenced on Jan. 16 at Isleworth Crown Court to a total of six months imprisonment, police reported.
This story was originally published January 19, 2019 at 2:33 PM.
