A man who went berserk on a Turkish Airlines flight when a steward took away his bottle of whisky, was jailed for four months on Friday last week.

Lee Frailing, 36, was only released from jail in 1997 after serving 12 years of a 14-year sentence for conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

His counsel, David Ashby, told Isleworth Crown Court that, despite being told he was 'institutionalised' Frailing 'worked very hard to lead a normal life after leaving prison and has now got a house and a mortgage'.

He also acquired a Thai bride and it was in an effort to settle her immigration status that Frailing was returning to London from Bangkok having changed planes at Istanbul, Turkey.

Prosecutor Roger Gray told the court that he was seen 'drinking from a whisky bottle' and when he went to the lavatory, the steward removed a second almost full whisky bottle.

On his return to his seat 'he started shouting, swearing and being very abusive to cabin crew', said counsel.

He was eventually restrained and police were alerted to meet the flight at Heathrow where he was arrested.

Mr Ashby said he was a very 'anxious flyer' who coped with his anxiety by sipping from a bottle of whisky.

Had the steward spoken to him about it, 'he would have stopped immediately,' he said.

Frailing, who lives with his pregnant wife at Corbins Lane, South Harrow, admitted being drunk on an aircraft on September 16 last year.

Jailing him, Judge David Miller said he was not jailing him for his record but simply for the offence under consideration.

'Being drunk on an aircraft is serious for two reasons,' he said. Firstly, a drunk is unpredictable and, secondly. passengers have to sit there and put up with it.

'They cannot just walk away. You have anxiety about travelling. What then of the passengers seated in the 'plane and their anxiety at your behaviour? It isn't a trivial matter'.