Ralph Lauren's niece charged over 'air rage'
The niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren will be sentenced today for being drunk and abusive on a plane.
Jennifer Lauren is accused of breaching the peace on board a transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight, which had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday afternoon, writes the Press Association.
The 41-year-old will appear before Ennis District Court this morning, where she is expected to enter a guilty plea to three separate charges under the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1973.
More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the alleged air rage incident took place.
The New York jewellery designer was brought before Killaloe District Court yesterday morning, where she was granted bail on condition she stayed at a hotel in Shannon town and lodged 2,500 euro (£2,075) of her own money to the court.
The unusual court sitting was held in the downstairs function room of the Brian Boru pub - named after the ancient High King of Ireland - in nearby Ballina as there is no dedicated courthouse in the area.
Garda Evette Walsh told Judge Patrick Durcan that when Ms Lauren was arrested under caution at the airport she replied: "Can you say that in English please?"
The judge adjourned the hearing and asked for an assessment on how much the disruption has cost the Delta airline, Shannon airport and passengers before dealing with Lauren's plea.
The defendant has been charged with being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft.
She was also accused of engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop, and of breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.
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