Stuck: ‘unruly’ Canadian fined

Sources told Newsday yesterday that shortly after leaving the Arima Magistrates’ Court, Heroux made his way straight to the airport, and attempted to book tickets to leave the country. However, up to press time, it was said that the Canadian man was unable to do so. Earlier in the day, Heroux returned before Magistrate Adrian Darmanie where he was fined for committing a breach of the Civil Aviation Act.

Fight AA 221, had left Canada on Saturday morning and was on its way to Brazil, when at about 5am, upon arriving within local air space, the control tower received a transmission that one of its passengers was causing a disruption. A decision was made for the aircraft to land, and Northern Division officers visited the airport and arrested the man for committing an offence.

Heroux was kept in custody until his appearance before the magistrate on Monday where he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He was represented by defence attorney Fareed Ali.

After a plea of mitigation by the attorney, in which it was explained that his client’s actions were due to him being in an intoxicated state, the matter was put off until yesterday so that the Canadian man could secure local currency to pay the fine.

At yesterday’s hearing, Heroux told the court that he had no intentions of ever drinking again and that he was now “a new man” with a very different outlook on life.