Pilot Forced To Make Emergency Landing After Man Attacked Wife in Mid-air

A British Airways flight to Houston was forced to make an emergency landing when a man allegedly assaulted his wife mid air.

The Mirror reports:

Darren Halliwell, 48, was arrested at Boston’s Logan Airport after the BA pilot diverted the plane en route to Texas.

Halliwell, from Aspull, Greater Manchester, reportedly ‘became disruptive’ with witnesses claiming they saw him assault his partner leading to other passengers jumping in to restrain him.

The couple had taken off from Heathrow at 10.33am today aboard British Airways flight 195 bound for Houston.

As the fracas continued the captain was alerted to the disturbance and decided to request a flight diversion.

The Boeing 747 plane landed shortly after noon local time where police boarded the flight before leading Halliwell away in handcuffs.

He has been charged with interfering with a flight crew but police have said additional charges related to the alleged assault are possible.

Police have not identified the alleged victim nor her relationship to Halliwell, ‘out of respect for her privacy’. However local media reported it was his wife, who he is thought to have two children, aged 24 and 22, with.

After Halliwell was taken from the plane it continued on to Houston landing at 3.46pm local time. It was not known if his wife stayed in Boston or travelled on to Houston. Halliwell is scheduled to be arraigned in court tomorrow in East Boston District Court.