At the time of the incident, Burns was broadcasting live on social media and it shows the defendant being escorted from the building
A Belfast man who admitted multiple assaults and using disorderly behaviour at Belfast International Airport was handed a five-month prison sentence today.
Jailing James Edmund Burns at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 33-year-old he has “an atrocious record” totalling 117 previous convictions.
Lamenting the fact that the offences against Burns carry a six-month maximum sentence, the judge told the former soldier, “had there been an opportunity to impose a longer custodial sentence, I would have taken that.”
At an earlier hearing Burns, with an address on Melrose Street in Belfast, admitted three charges of assaulting police in addition to single offences of common assault, using disorderly behaviour at Belfast International Airport and assaulting a civilian detention officer, all committed on 14 October this year.
Opening the facts of the case for the first time, a prosecuting lawyer told the court how police had been called to a departure gate after Swissport staff had requested assistance to deal with a “drunk and abusive passenger.”
In addition to swearing at staff, Burns had struck a member of the ground crew to the arm, telling his victim to “f*** off or I’ll smack you in the face.”
The defendant smelled of alcohol, was “slurring his words” and as the police officers were escorting him back to land-side, he was “using foul and abusive language throughout.”
“He was warned several times about his language but he continued to make threats to police,” the prosecutor told the court.
At the time of the incident, Burns was broadcasting live on social media and it shows the defendant being escorted from the building.
He can clearly be heard telling an officer, “I’ll knock the clean f**k out of you…see the next time you push me, I’m putting the head in you.”
As Burns is walking out of the exit door, he thanks the officers for “keeping the country safe” and shaking their hands, he assures them that they, “have potential….potential for being a w*****.”
At that point, former soldier Burns is arrested.
The court heard that having been put into a cell van, Burns “became aggressive,” tried to headbutt an officer and while he was being restrained, he tried to bite an officer.
He tried to escape from the cell van and when an officer stopped him, Burns kicked him in the chest and face, causing bruising and abrasions.
Another constable who stopped Burns from escaping was also assaulted with the defendant trying to bite and headbutt him.
Burns kicked that victim to the leg, leaving a “foot print bruise to his thigh” and the court heard that when the 33-year-old was in custody, he struck a civilian detention officer with a head butt.
During interviews, Burns claimed he had little memory of the incidents “but did apologise for his behaviour.”
Defence counsel Grant Powles put forward that having served for three and a half years in the army “as a commando,” including a tour to Afghanistan, Burns suffers from PTSD and poor mental health.
Judge Broderick was scathing however, highlighting that “a lot of people suffer with mental health but they don’t assault members of airport staff and head butt detention officers and police officers to the face.”
“Alcohol probably didn’t help it,” the judge added, “and an underlying predilection to violence as well.”
Reiterating Burns’ apology for his behaviour, Mr Powles revealed that before the incident, the defendant had been held for 28 days in a London hospital under the mental health order.
He had stopped his medication for paranoid schizophrenia, “because he felt that he was ok” and in addition, funding he had been receiving from Combat Stress and the Army to help with his mental health had almost stopped.
Mr Powles contended that Burns “is someone who has suffered all his adult life and is, realistically, someone who has his own vulnerabilities.”
The barrister suggested that while serious, the offences could be met with an Enhanced Combination Order (ECO) as a direct alternative to custody, arguing that Burns “is trying to turn his life around” and has completed courses that he is now qualified as a youth leader.
He argued that “society as a whole, would be best served” if Burns was supported in those efforts and he urged the judge to “give this man a chance.”
Judge Broderick replied however, that “I think society is best served by him not reoffending.”
Highlighting that Burns had committed multiple assaults against people who were simply doing their jobs, “I have no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that the custody threshold is crossed,” the judge declared.
A short time later, Mr Powles applied for Burns to be released on bail pending an appeal of the sentence.
Judge Broderick revealed that the probation board had assessed Burns at “high risk of reoffending,” so although he granted leave for the appeal, he ordered that Burns will not be released in the meantime.
“You can apply to the High Court if you disagree with my decision,” the judge concluded.
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