KINGSTON, Jamaica — An attorney representing the Canadian man who forced a Air Canada flight from Jamaica to make an emergency landing in Orlando last week said his client took cocaine before boarding the flight.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, 34-year-old Brandon Michael Courneyea appeared Monday in Orlando federal court and has been charged with interfering with flight crewmembers and attendants after his May 15 flight from Jamaica to Canada.
Defence attorney Corey Cohen said Courneyea was “very remorseful” about the incident. He also said Courneyea took cocaine an hour before the Toronto-bound Air Canada flight. Toxicology reports are pending, the Senteniel said.
According to a federal criminal complaint crewmembers and other passengers had secure Courneyea using zip ties due to his erratic behaviour.
Investigators said the man yelled at passengers for “looking at him.” He then grabbed a coffee pot from the galley and swung it at crewmembers before saying it would “only take one guy to take the plane down.” He lunged for a rear door and began pulling the lever.
The entire incident was said to have lasted for 45 minutes.
His lawyer has since asked the judge to release him into his father’s custody; however prosecutors want him to remain in jail.
