A Jet2 passenger has described the terrifying moments aboard a flight to Manchester Airport before a man died after being restrained, with her mother convinced he "was going to kill someone." The woman, who spoke anonymously to the Manchester Evening News, said Callum Kerr, 35, from Warrington, allegedly struck overhead lockers, hammered on the cockpit door, and made threats towards other passengers during the journey from Larnaca, Cyprus, on June 21.
Witness Account of the Incident
The witness recounted that Kerr seemed heavily intoxicated, shouting and swearing. She said: "We set off from Larnaca then about an hour into the flight, I think we were just going past Turkey. We could hear him sort of being abusive." She added that children were crying as the situation escalated. "He started getting up and getting beers from the trolleys, he had a Jack Daniels that he'd bought from duty free and he was drinking that as well. He was getting up and walking around and hitting the overhead cabins. He kept shouting and swearing at everyone saying that he'll batter anyone on this plane."
Escalation and Restraint
Cabin crew attempted to defuse the situation by moving Kerr's girlfriend to the rear of the aircraft, but he became more agitated. The pilot announced that the passenger would be prosecuted upon landing, which made matters worse. Kerr then went to the front of the plane, banged on the cockpit door, and spat at a male steward. Shortly before landing, he headbutted another passenger, prompting several people to restrain him. The witness said: "The air hostesses asked for a couple of men to help them. I think about three people restrained him but as soon as he headbutted this guy, he went silent."
Police and Medical Response
Greater Manchester Police confirmed they responded to reports of an alleged assault aboard the aircraft at around 2:25 am on June 22. Officers boarded the plane after it landed at Manchester Airport and found Kerr had been restrained. They realized he had stopped breathing and commenced CPR, requesting a defibrillator. Kerr was taken to hospital in a critical condition and later died. A police spokesperson said: "An investigation is underway after a man became critically ill following reports that the same individual had been aggressive and disruptive towards a passenger and crew members."
Aftermath and Tributes
The witness said she and her mother never want to fly again. "My mum was so scared she thought he was literally going to kill someone. She was a mess on that flight." Social media saw tributes to Kerr, with one person writing: "Can't believe I'm writing this RIP Callum Kerr wtf." Jet2 confirmed the flight requested a priority landing due to a disruptive passenger incident and said it would be inappropriate to comment further as an investigation is underway.
