‘Drunk’ law tutor thrown off Heathrow flight is ordered to pay £4,500

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By Thomas Connelly on

Humanitarian law expert, who the SRA says “is not a member of the profession”, reportedly set to take up teaching role at Durham University

A “drunk” law tutor who was booted off a plane at Heathrow has been ordered to cough up £4,500.

Meghna Kumar, a humanitarian law specialist, was on her way to teach students at Canada’s McGill University when she was arrested on 9 April.

The 30-year-old — whose CV apparently boasts a stint working for the United Nations at the International Court of Justice in The Hague — “downed vodkas” and hurled “abuse” at British Airways cabin crew as the flight prepared to take off, according to the Mail Online.

Isleworth Crown Court heard how Kumar had been drinking at one of Heathrow’s airport bars prior to boarding. Stumbling onto the Montreal-bound aircraft, she reportedly told a member of staff: “I did not say anything to you, f*** off”.

Asked to put her seat belt on, Kumar — who reports say has a tutor job lined up at Durham University — became even more aggressive, telling flight crew:

I cannot f****** believe you’re asking me to stand up

The captain, concerned about Kumar’s behaviour, decided to return the taxing aircraft to its departure gate. At this point the legal expert had fallen asleep. Prosecutor James O’Connell told the court that when police boarded the flight, “she thought she had got to Canada.”

Kumar — who claimed to have only had two vodkas before boarding the flight — had been battling depression and anxiety for over a decade, according to her lawyer. Despite this, she admitted drunkenly entering an aircraft and was fined £3,750 and ordered to pay £750 costs.

Judge Robin Johnson told her:

A lot of people are nervous in aeroplanes and people who are drunk and disorderly cause that kind of anxiety to be greatly increased. Secondly, a great deal of inconvenience was met by many, many people, as well as the undoubted cost to the airline. Your behaviour was disgraceful.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) told Legal Cheek that Kumar “is not a member of the profession”.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from Durham University told us: “The university does not comment on individual cases.”

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