Drunken Passenger Sexually Assaults Woman on Jet2 Flight from Manchester to Tenerife

Published: 19th August 2025 — The English Chronicle Desk

A holiday flight from Manchester to Tenerife turned into a nightmare for a female passenger when a heavily intoxicated man repeatedly groped her and subjected her to vulgar remarks during the journey. The disturbing incident, which took place on November 12, 2023, has now been detailed in court, where the offender was sentenced for his behaviour.

The man, identified as 53-year-old Craig Lowe from Tyldesley, Wigan, had consumed six small bottles of red wine during the four-and-a-half-hour Jet2 flight before turning his attention towards the woman seated next to him. Initially engaging in what was described by prosecutors as light-hearted conversation, his behaviour escalated dramatically as he began making crude sexualised comments. Lowe leaned towards the woman and asked her to accompany him to his hotel room, using graphic and offensive language. He then grabbed her inner thigh, prompting her to move away to the aircraft’s lavatory in order to escape the harassment.

When she returned, visibly shaken, the victim attempted to shield herself by covering her lap with a hoodie. However, Lowe proceeded to grope her thigh on two further occasions. The woman, frozen in fear, eventually managed to tell him to stop, which he did, though the ordeal left her deeply distressed.

The harassment did not end there. Witnesses told Manchester Crown Court that Lowe later turned his aggression towards another passenger who attempted to help him after he dropped his phone. Threatening violence, Lowe declared, “I’m going to kill you… go on… I’ll have you outside.” His behaviour continued even after the aircraft landed, when passengers were boarding the bus to the terminal. At that stage, the wife of the threatened passenger loudly appealed for someone to intervene and remove him.

In a victim impact statement read before the court by prosecutor Amy Weir, the woman described how the incident shattered what was supposed to be a short break with her family following ten exhausting work shifts. She explained that she was already a nervous flier, and the experience had left her feeling vulnerable and anxious about future travel. The absence of CCTV on board the aircraft compounded her fears, as she felt there was nowhere to seek safety in such confined circumstances. She said she was relieved that the ordeal occurred towards the end of the flight, though it has since left her determined never to sit alone on a plane again.

Lowe’s defence counsel, Jason Smith, admitted there was no justification for his client’s conduct, but highlighted that at the time of the incident Lowe was battling alcoholism, which had destroyed his marriage and severely affected his personal life. Smith told the court that since then, Lowe had rebuilt his life, sought treatment, and abstained from alcohol, which he said should be taken into account during sentencing.

Judge Timothy Smith, presiding over the case, condemned the behaviour, highlighting the increasing number of cases involving passengers who drink excessively before or during flights and then behave in a threatening or abusive manner. He noted that Lowe’s actions caused serious fear and distress to the victim and others on board, and remarked that while Lowe was described as “fun” for much of the flight, this abruptly shifted once alcohol took its toll.

Addressing Lowe directly, the judge said: “You say you are disgusted in yourself and your behaviour, and so you should be. This court too often sees cases where alcohol leads to outrageous behaviour in the confined space of an aircraft, and it causes terror for those who have no escape.”

Taking into consideration that the incident occurred nearly two years ago and that Lowe had since made efforts to rehabilitate himself, Judge Smith opted to suspend the custodial sentence. Lowe was handed a 28-week prison term, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to entering an aircraft while drunk and committing sexual assault. He was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work and 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirements. In addition, he must remain on the Sex Offenders Register for a period of seven years.

The case has once again drawn attention to the growing problem of alcohol-fuelled misconduct on flights, an issue that airlines and authorities across Europe have repeatedly raised concerns about. For the victim, however, the consequences extend far beyond headlines, as her account underscores the lasting emotional scars that such incidents can leave behind.