Caped man 'holding a Toblerone like a sword' on a plane told the pilot to 'fly to Sochi'
He said he was making “fun and jokes”.
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Your support makes all the difference.An air passenger armed with a Toblerone chocolate bar demanded that the pilot fly to Sochi so he could watch the Winter Olympics, a court has heard.
23-year-old Antti Oskari Manselius from Finland also made a false bomb threat and said he was robbing the Amsterdam to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific flight on 14 February, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.
Manselius walked towards the cockpit with two blankets wrapped around his head, and one around his shoulders like a cape, according to two flight attendants who spoke in court.
He held the Toblerone chocolate bar “like a sword”, the newspaper said, quoting one of the attendants.
“He said, 'I am robbing the plane now. I want to see the Olympics in Sochi and I need to get off the plane now,” attendant Leung Hiu-lun was quoted as telling the court. “He was furious. He made me feel like he was trying to endanger the aircraft.”
Manselius pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct and giving false information about a bomb when he appeared in court on Thursday, the Post said. He added he was trying to entertain the other passengers and was making “fun and jokes”.
Leung said the passenger was not violent, and only waved the bar as he talked. Leung told him the service was a direct flight and would not stop in Russia.
Manselius was later handcuffed under the orders of the captain.
“A Finnish passenger, a former policeman, and an aircrew safety trainer handcuffed Manselius with the help of a cabin crew manager. They also cuffed his legs and fastened his chest with an extra seatbelt,” the Post said.
After breakfast was served, Manselius fell asleep.
Manselius was arrested in Hong Kong and sent to a psychiatric centre, the newspaper reported.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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