Ralph Lauren niece in Irish court over alleged air rage

DUBLIN - Dublin - The niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren appeared before a judge in Ireland on Tuesday charged with being drunk and abusive on a plane - in a hearing held in a makeshift court in a pub.

Jennifer Lauren, 41, is accused of breaching the peace on board a transatlantic flight from Barcelona to New York which had to be diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday.

Lauren, a US citizen who operates a high-end jewellery business, was arrested at the airport and spent the night at the local police station after the Delta Airlines flight touched down.

She was charged with being intoxicated to such an extent that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft, according to media reports.

She was also accused of engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop.

Lauren also faced a count of breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

The hearing was held in the unlikely surroundings of the Brian Boru pub in the village of Killaloe, as there is no dedicated courthouse in the area.

The Irish Independent newspaper reported that an Irish garda, or police officer, told the court that when arrested at the airport, Lauren replied: "Can you say that in English please."

Lauren's solicitor, Sharon Curley, said her client would be pleading guilty to all three charges.

Lauren will be sentenced on Wednesday in nearby town, Ennis, as Judge Patrick Durcan said it would not be appropriate for the case to be dealt with in Killaloe.

Durcan said that before sentencing could take place the cost incurred by the airline and the airport over the incident would have to be addressed.

He granted Lauren bail on condition she stays at a nearby hotel, surrenders her passport to police and lodges 2,500 euros ($3,400) to the court.

The Delta airlines flight, with over 200 passenger on board, later continued its journey to New York.

Lauren's uncle, Ralph, is the founder of one of the world's leading fashion houses.