Sarah McGuire on board the easyjet flight last month
Sarah McGuire was due to go on trial at Antrim Magistrates Court yesterday.
But following last minute discussions between the defence and prosecution, she confessed to all bar two of the charges against her.
Defence counsel Sean Doherty confirmed that McGuire (39), from Tyrconnell Street in Derry, was entering guilty pleas to charges of common assault; behaving in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner towards a member of aircraft crew; and refusing to obey the lawful command of an aircraft commander on October 18 last year.
At an earlier hearing McGuire, who attended court in person, admitted using disorderly behaviour at Belfast International Airport arising from the same incident.
Following her admissions on Monday, the prosecution asked Deputy District Judge Ann Marshall to formally have charges of being drunk on a plane and common assault “left on the books”.
The facts have yet to be fully opened but it is understood the charges follow an incident on a Belfast to Edinburgh easyJet flight which led to McGuire being escorted off.
In a video recorded by a fellow passenger on the flight, McGuire is seen being escorted off the plane which was still grounded, and is seen not wearing a mask.
She repeatedly coughs and shouts out: “Everybody dies, you know that? If it’s from corona or not, everybody dies.”
Applying for sentencing to be adjourned to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence probation report, Mr Doherty said the offences were committed against a backdrop of “difficult and traumatic circumstances” which he was sure would be “fully outlined” in the probation report.
Sarah McGuire appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court on Monday
Adjourning passing sentence to April 20, Ms Marshall freed McGuire on continuing bail.
The judge warned her that “going to custody is a very real possibility”.
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