Drunken Diplomat Arrested After Flight Disturbance

[george]

Drunken diplomat arrested after flight disturbance

A drunken British diplomat was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport following a disturbance on board a flight, it was confirmed today.

Defence attaché Colonel Peter Roberts spent Thursday night in the cells after police arrested him on board a plane from Bangkok, shortly after it touched down at Heathrow.

The 50-year-old colonel, who is based in the Thai capital, has been bailed until March 3.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “At approximately 17.30 on Thursday February 17 Heathrow police officers boarded an inbound flight following reports of a disturbance on board.

“A 50-year-old male passenger was arrested for being drunk on an aircraft and taken to a west London police station. He was bailed on February 18 to return to a west London police station on March 3.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed Colonel Peter Roberts was arrested and that the flight was from Bangkok.

“We cannot comment further as an investigation is underway,” he said.

It has been reported the colonel had been involved in the relief effort following the December 26 tsunami disaster which devastated parts of western Thailand.

--Ireland OnLine 2005-02-19

[astral]

I am glad he was arrested in England, then he cannot claim immunity!!

[kreon]

an english gentleman eh

that whole society is turning into a punks culture, thanks johnnie rotten

[taxexile]

A drunken British diplomat was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport following a disturbance on board a flight, it was confirmed today.

Defence attaché Colonel Peter Roberts spent Thursday night in the cells after police arrested him on board a plane from Bangkok, shortly after it touched down at Heathrow.

The 50-year-old colonel, who is based in the Thai capital, has been bailed until March 3.

what a wonderful story , pure joy , its always a tonic to read about the public embarrassment of those who should know better.

a representative of her majesty's government drunk and disorderly on a ba flight.

the boozy colonel left to sober up overnight in the cells.

a 50 year old defence attache behaving like a teenage yob.

any body got a photo of him.?

[Doctor John]

He will do time for this.

I knew a bloke that got 9 months for a similar offence going back to UK on a Singapore Airlines flight.

Alcohol should be strictly limited on Flights in my humble opinion.

Picture

Edited February 20, 2005 by Doctor John

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It ain't his fault. They filled him with the piss

[taxexile]

his story really fits in perfectly with the other lowrent stories on the page linked by Doctor John.

its trash central !

sir les patterson , eat your heart out.

looks like his next diplomatic posting could be as undersecretary and first reserve paperclip polisher to the third attache in the liberian mission.

the shame !!!!!!! the ruination of the family name , the call next week to the foriegn office to explain himself , the bollockings he will get from his kids , the frosty reception from his wife should he attempt a leg over manoever within the next six months , the behind the back sniggerings and whisperings at the dinner parties , his career coming to an unexpected and public halt.

joy , pure joy.!

[toastwars]

his story really fits in perfectly  with the other lowrent stories on the page linked by Doctor John.

its trash central !

sir les patterson , eat your heart out.

looks like his next diplomatic posting could be as undersecretary and first reserve paperclip polisher to the third attache in the liberian mission.

the shame !!!!!!! the ruination of the family name , the call next week to the foriegn office to explain himself , the bollockings he will get from his kids , the frosty reception from his wife should he attempt a leg over manoever within the next six months , the behind the back sniggerings and whisperings at the dinner parties , his career coming to an unexpected and public halt.

joy , pure joy.!

No shame in drunken shinanegans in blighty mate, its a national passtime...Oh and never belive anything you read in the Sun I wouldn't wipe my arse with that rag.

I wonder how he was helping with the relief effort by selling guns though???

[alex100]

He will do time for this.

I knew a bloke that got 9 months for a similar offence going back to UK on a Singapore Airlines flight.

Alcohol should be strictly limited on Flights in my humble opinion.   

Picture

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dream on Doctor John as a UK Serviceman he is not subject to the sames laws as you or me - unless the UK MOD request that he be tried in a Civil Court outside the jurisdiction of the Queens Regulations / Manual of Army Law and this will never happen due his seniority. The old boys will close ranks and he will end up with a ticking off and a note of reprimand on his service record.

[Rinrada]

He will have guaranteed his invite to the next "royal wedding"at Windsor Zoo with the rest of the diss-functional "elite".

He could probabally dress up in a red jacket,bring his horse and dogs (bit of a foxy one here)shave his head,tattoo between eyes with a ring through his bit and not forgetting the armband with the unusual cross on it..................I say Carruthers......dropped in the old do-das again...haw-haw-haw (upper class...555)

One of TIT lads

[chuchok]

Silly question....but, whay do they call Scotland Yard...Scotland Yard?

[lovethailandlongtime]

an english gentleman eh

that whole society is turning into a punks culture, thanks johnnie rotten

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And which society are you from?????

im guessing here,but are you a septic??

[Pattaya_Fox]

He will have guaranteed his invite to the next "royal wedding"at Windsor Zoo with the rest of the diss-functional "elite".

He could probabally dress up in a red jacket,bring his horse and dogs (bit of a foxy one here)shave his head,tattoo between eyes with a ring through his bit and not forgetting the armband with the unusual cross on it..................I say Carruthers......dropped in the old do-das again...haw-haw-haw (upper class...555)

One of TIT lads  

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You`re not supporting Fox Hunting are you.....I`d better watch my brush

[Rinrada]

Silly question....but, whay do they call Scotland Yard...Scotland Yard?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The old building that was H.Q.for the Met (London Police force)for may years was based just off Whitehall in the "Norman Shaw building"which was located in a street ...called......guess...New Scotland Yard.

The new H.Q,in Victoria St at St James (not far from the Albert Pub...FYI)is still called New Scotland Yard although the real name should be "New New" Scotland Yard but.......

[Dah fahrang]

It ain't his fault. They filled him with the piss 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and the British tax payer will have to pick up the tab - for the flight (bet he was in first Class, too, not slumming it in Misery Class wit hthe other drunkards) and for the Police investigation/prosecution, and to pay his early pensionm when Blair has to give him the bullet - "setting an example for uncondoned behaviour, you understand"!

[Rinrada]

As they would say in Monty Python....Hes a Naughty-Naughty-Naughty Boy.

By rights it should a court marshal at dawn with his botti smacked using a cat of 9 tails but seeing as he has been stationed in bangers he would probabally enjoy that.

Naw..as said earlier the old "chappi"neywork will gather round,give him a bunny hug,make him a General and put him in charge of the next invasion force to.........maybe the Isle of Wight,Iran or North Korea.

From then on he can up his gong to a GKC of the order of the Pi..up Brigade instead of realistically being awarded a bar to his Order of The Big Elbow-OBE

[Pie Boy]

Innocent until proven guilty? TV members have such a wicked sense of justice.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE.... WITH THE VERDICT.... WHICH IS... NOT GUILTY

'Air rage' diplomat cleared

24/01/2006

A senior British diplomat has been cleared of being drunk on board an aircraft after threatening passengers and staff during a flight between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow in February 2005.

Colonel Peter Roberts MBE, who was Britain's defence attache in Thailand at the time, had to be physically restrained during the flight after launching a tirade of abuse at both passengers and crew during the flight.

Fellow passengers claimed the diplomat had been downing a cocktail of beer, wine and spirits throughout the flight, and had angrily insulted Thailand.

However, a jury at Isleworth crown court in south-west London today cleared Col Roberts of being drunk while on board the plane, accepting the defence team's claims that his behaviour was caused by antidepressant drugs the diplomat was taking at the time to help him recover from the trauma of the Boxing Day tsunami.

Speaking after the verdict, Look Chih Wang, Col Roberts' defence lawyer, was delighted that his client's name had been cleared.

"Col Roberts has been found not guilty of this offence because he was not in fact drunk. His behaviour was due to a temporary abnormality of function caused by long-term chronic stress, tsunami-related post traumatic stress, sleep deprivation, and a combination of the anti-depressant Seroxat and alcohol," he said.

"Col Roberts has been advised by his doctor that he could drink in moderation whilst taking Seroxat and has maintained his innocence throughout these proceedings.

He added: "The Crown Prosecution Service has been in possession of the defence expert's reports in this case for many months. It is therefore perhaps surprising that this matter was ever brought to trial."

However, despite being cleared of the charged of being drunk while on board an aircraft, Judge Usha Karu rejected Col Roberts' application for his legal costs to be covered, ruling that the diplomat should have been more moderate in his alcohol consumption given that he was on medication.

Col Roberts claims to have no recollection of the incident and has since apologised to fellow passengers and cabin crew, as well as to the Thai authorities for any offence caused by his remarks.

He had been one of the first British officials on the scene in western Thailand in the aftermath of the tsunami and was said to have been deeply traumatised by what he had seen.

ฉ DeHavilland Information Services

Edited January 25, 2006 by dr_Pat_Pong

[sleepyjohn]

that whole society is turning into a punks culture, thanks johnnie rotten

Hang on steady, are you insinuating anything about the Pistols? Great band.

I used to live with a long haul BA stewardess called Annie McKay in the Punk days, and she had Johnnie in first class one flight. Said he was a gentlemen.

[Rooo]

Anti depressants & alcohol ? Hmmmmmmmmm bad cocktail.The judgement just brushed the offence undre the carpet. Imagine if you or I had to face court after such behavior ,we would have been told we should have known better & that ignorance is no excuse.

In the old days in some countries if you killed someone whilst drunk , you got off , cause you were in a temporary state of insanity.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Too much information John.

[StateSix]

Anti depressants & alcohol ? Hmmmmmmmmm bad cocktail.The judgement just brushed the offence undre the carpet. Imagine if you or I had to face court after such behavior ,we would have been told we should have known better & that ignorance is no excuse.

In the old days in some countries if you killed someone whilst drunk , you got off , cause you were in a temporary state of insanity.

Terrible verdict. The jury obviously went for his barristers sob story. I think it is disgusting that he used the tragedy of the Tsunami for his own ends. Many, many people saw far worse sights than him.

I liked the quote from the judge when he refused the defences application for costs:

"I took a view when I heard the evidence that the defendant had consumed alcohol to an extent which was excessive and having done so knowing he was also on antidepressants he brought the matter on himself and I am not minded to allow the application for defence costs."

Obviously not a bleeding heart liberal like the jury.

Do we think that the verdict would have been the same if the guy was from a Manchester council estate, unemployed and had an overworked, underpaid legal aid lawyer?

[simon43]

And no doubt he will find himself back in a position of importance within the British Diplomatic Corps. I hope for all our sakes that he doesn't return to Thailand.

[Phil Conners]

Anti depressants & alcohol ? Hmmmmmmmmm bad cocktail.The judgement just brushed the offence undre the carpet. Imagine if you or I had to face court after such behavior ,we would have been told we should have known better & that ignorance is no excuse.

In the old days in some countries if you killed someone whilst drunk , you got off , cause you were in a temporary state of insanity.

Terrible verdict. The jury obviously went for his barristers sob story. I think it is disgusting that he used the tragedy of the Tsunami for his own ends. Many, many people saw far worse sights than him.

I liked the quote from the judge when he refused the defences application for costs:

"I took a view when I heard the evidence that the defendant had consumed alcohol to an extent which was excessive and having done so knowing he was also on antidepressants he brought the matter on himself and I am not minded to allow the application for defence costs."

Obviously not a bleeding heart liberal like the jury.

Do we think that the verdict would have been the same if the guy was from a Manchester council estate, unemployed and had an overworked, underpaid legal aid lawyer?

&lt;deleted&gt; does this have to do with being liberal ?

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiberaL:

Liberalism is an ideology, or current of political thought, which holds liberty as the primary political value.[1] Liberalism seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on the power of government and religion, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a free market economy that supports private enterprise, and a system of government that is transparent. This form of government favors liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law, and an equal opportunity to succeed. Liberalism rejected many foundational assumptions which dominated most earlier theories of government, such as the divine right of kings, hereditary status, and established religion. Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property. In many countries, modern liberalism differs from classical liberalism by asserting that government provision of some minimal level of material well-being takes priority over individual rights.

[bendejo]

Arresting a Brit for being drunk?

Wouldn't that be like arresting a French for eating cheese?

[meadish_sweetball]

Anti depressants & alcohol ? Hmmmmmmmmm bad cocktail.The judgement just brushed the offence undre the carpet. Imagine if you or I had to face court after such behavior ,we would have been told we should have known better & that ignorance is no excuse.

In the old days in some countries if you killed someone whilst drunk , you got off , cause you were in a temporary state of insanity.

Terrible verdict. The jury obviously went for his barristers sob story. I think it is disgusting that he used the tragedy of the Tsunami for his own ends. Many, many people saw far worse sights than him.

I liked the quote from the judge when he refused the defences application for costs:

"I took a view when I heard the evidence that the defendant had consumed alcohol to an extent which was excessive and having done so knowing he was also on antidepressants he brought the matter on himself and I am not minded to allow the application for defence costs."

Obviously not a bleeding heart liberal like the jury.

Do we think that the verdict would have been the same if the guy was from a Manchester council estate, unemployed and had an overworked, underpaid legal aid lawyer?

&lt;deleted&gt; does this have to do with being liberal ?

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiberaL:

Liberalism is an ideology, or current of political thought, which holds liberty as the primary political value.[1] Liberalism seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on the power of government and religion, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a free market economy that supports private enterprise, and a system of government that is transparent. This form of government favors liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law, and an equal opportunity to succeed. Liberalism rejected many foundational assumptions which dominated most earlier theories of government, such as the divine right of kings, hereditary status, and established religion. Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property. In many countries, modern liberalism differs from classical liberalism by asserting that government provision of some minimal level of material well-being takes priority over individual rights.

Time for obligatory reading of Adam Smith, John Locke, Friedrich Hayek, Thomas Jefferson and John Stuart Mill for some members methinks. The other day a TV member talked about "Trotskyist liberals". And then people complain about the Thais not knowing any history... Pots and kettles.

[the gent]

Gosh, how upsetting for the usual TV lynch mobsters, a verdict that failed to vindicate their silly prejudices. Never mind, I am sure another drugs smuggler/paedophile will soon lurch into view to fill the vacuum.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Gosh, how upsetting for the usual TV lynch mobsters, a verdict that failed to vindicate their silly prejudices. Never mind, I am sure another drugs smuggler/paedophile will soon lurch into view to fill the vacuum.

Is there a cynic in the house ?

[sriracha john]

It could be read as a self-confession, actually. I look forward to the Bangkok Herald-Examiner expose'

[Musophobia]

Gosh, how upsetting for the usual TV lynch mobsters, a verdict that failed to vindicate their silly prejudices. Never mind, I am sure another drugs smuggler/paedophile will soon lurch into view to fill the vacuum.

Is there a cynic in the house ?