Irish national fined $4,000 for theft onboard Singapore Airlines flight

SINGAPORE - After downing several cans of beer on board a Singapore Airlines flight, an Irish national became aggressive when cabin crew declined to serve him more alcohol.

Behan Michael Hugh, 40, confronted the cabin crew and shouted vulgarities at them. The Canadian and Chinese passenger seated near him on the SQ323 flight from Amsterdam to Singapore asked to be moved elsewhere after that.

Hugh, a civil engineer working in Australia, later stole several items including a black leather jacket, two Longchamp bags and cash worth more than $480 in total from both passengers.

He was fined $4,000 on Tuesday for theft.

Hugh was found out some time after his outburst when a cabin crew member discovered an identification card on an empty seat along his row, that belonged to a Chinese national seated in front of him.

When asked to check on his personal belongings, the Chinese passenger found two new Longchamp bags worth about S$224 and monies in various currencies missing from his black backpack.

The missing items were later found in Hugh's possession.

For theft, Hugh could have be jailed for up to three years and fined.

andreang@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 10, 2015.
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