Osama airliner threat man jailed

Mackle was ordered to pay restitution to the airline

A County Armagh man has been sentenced to 116 days in jail by a US court for threatening to blow up an airliner bound for Dublin.

Aiden Simon Mackle, 44, from Portadown, was sentenced at the District Court in Bangor, Maine, for interference with a flight crew and assault.

The March incident led to the Delta 767 airliner from Atlanta being diverted to Bangor International Airport.

Mackle had become unruly and claimed he was associated with Osama bin Laden.

He had been on his way home after visiting family and friends in California.

According to court documents, Mackle had been drinking on the plane and smoked a cigarette in the toilets.

They also stated he became verbally abusive to a flight attendant, telling her he was associated with Osama bin Laden and was going to hijack the plane.

'Ironic'

Mackle also punched an off-duty Delta employee and told airline employees that he was a terrorist.

With time already served in jail he is likely to be released and deported within six weeks.

He was also ordered to undergo two years of supervised release and was told to make $20,030 restitution to Delta airlines.

The court also ordered him to pay a special assessment of $110, which goes to the victims of crime.

US District Judge John Woodcock said that he found it "highly ironic" that a citizen of Northern Ireland would appear in the federal courtroom where George Mitchell once presided.

The former US Senator brokered the the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which paved the way for devolution in Northern Ireland.

Mackle apologised to the court for his behaviour.

The judge said that the airline bore some responsibility for the incident for continuing to serve Mackle alcohol when he apparently was clearly intoxicated.