Same Jeans singer to pay out £25k in homophobic air rage incident
The frontman of Scottish indie rock band The View has been fined £25,000 after admitting an air rage incident during which he used homophobic slurs.
30-year-old Kyle Falconer was detained in June 2016 after he became “violent and disruptive” on a budget airline Jet2 flight from Spain to Glasgow.
The flight was diverted to the French city of Nantes where Falconer was removed by authorities after the crew raised the alarm.
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The singer, who is most famous for the band’s 2007 hit Same Jeans, was reported at the time to have become abusive after he was not permitted to sit next to his fiance.
When he was asked to sit separately from Laura Wylde, he reportedly turned around a number of times, spilt a drink on a fellow passenger then confronted her husband.
He later called a member of cabin crew a “p***”.
He was fined £1,000, as well as being asked to pay for £14,000 in extra fuel charges and another £9,000 in costs at Paisley Sherrif Court.
According to Falconer’s lawyer, he has been left destitute despite having a successful singing career.
Claims that he had threatened other passengers while in possession of two bottles had been deleted as part of a plea deal.
Prosecuting, Margaret McCallum said Falconer had been asked to behave after knocking a fellow passenger and spilling a drink on her.
She added: “The accused took umbrage at this request and stood up in what’s described as ‘an aggressive manner’ and began to shout and swear at the male passenger.
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“In doing so, he was using the word ‘f***’. A member of cabin crew became aware of the commotion and asked the accused to calm down, to stop shouting and sit down, which the accused refused to do.
“Overheard by one of the witnesses was the phrase, ‘Is that right, ya p***?’
“Another member of cabin crew became concerned and thought the actions of the accused might be a safety risk.
“She informed the pilot and the pilot had decided to divert the flight to Nantes.
“The accused settled down and remained quiet until the flight landed in France, where the aircraft was met by French police.”
Defending, Ian Houston said Falconer has a weekly wage of £350 and that he has no assets to speak of.
He said Falconer has an eight-month-old daughter and a fiance and
Adding: “This whole event has cost him £25,000 – money he doesn’t have and will have to work hard to pay back.
“They do not own a home, they live in a rented flat in Dundee.
“He has no assets. I can’t say, and neither can he, what happened to the money he must have earned.
“He is deeply ashamed of this, especially the homophobic remark, given he has friends and relatives who are gay.
“He just wants to get on with the rest of his life.”
Ahead of a court appearance at Paisley Sheriff Court last year, The Courier reports that the singer is facing allegations of homophobic abuse.
The rock singer last year said he would turn over a new leaf, heading to a rehab clinic in Thailand.
He told the Sunday Mail: “I know for a fact that I have a problem but it’s hard to bite your tongue sometimes and straight away I start blaming everyone else.”
