Margit Lake, 56, said she had “needed to calm down” before she downed the vodka during a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Heathrow – she has now been fined
A United Airlines flight attendant was found to be ten times over the legal alcohol limit for flying after she consumed a significant amount of vodka during a transatlantic journey.
Margit Lake, 56, smuggled “multiple miniature bottles” of the spirit onto the ten-hour flight from San Francisco to Heathrow on 17 October. She indulged in some of the liquor and required hospital treatment once the Boeing 777 touched down in west London.
The court was informed that the Californian cabin crew member had low blood pressure and paramedics detected “smelt alcohol on her breath.”
A subsequent blood test revealed that Lake had an alarming 216 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres in her blood – a staggering ten times over the legal limit.
Yesterday, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard that Lake, a 26-year veteran with United Airlines, tendered her resignation following the incident, reports the Mirror.
The court was reminded that the UK’s legal limit for flight attendants is 20 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. Dressed in a black cardigan, Lake confessed to performing an aviation function while exceeding the alcohol limit.
Defence lawyer Ben Lansbury explained that Lake had been feeling “isolated”, was alienated from her family and was grappling with grief. Mr Lansbury stated: “She had the alcohol because she needed to calm down. It was something of a shock to her as to what happened. She deeply regrets what happened.
“Ms Lake has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous almost daily since the last hearing. She is supported by colleagues here in the UK and they sit in the back of the court.”
Magistrate Tony Delliston reassured her: “We are not going to commit this to the crown court. We can deal with this here. You are not going to prison. We are going to deal with this with a financial penalty.”
Lake was slapped with a £1,461 fine, a £584 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
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