A British honeymooner who got drunk and threatened flight attendants was fined $3,000 in Magistrates’ Court.

Mohammed Khelya, 22, from Blackburn, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to charges of getting drunk while on an aircraft over Bermudian territorial waters and disruptive behavior towards the flight crew in an incident on Monday.

Prosecutor Garrett Byrne told the court that Khelya and his wife were on board Thomas Cook flight TCX 244 from Manchester to Cuba when flight staff noticed him drinking from a bottle of vodka. They warned him that it was against flight regulations. He apologised, putting the bottle away.

Several hours into the flight, Khelya reportedly became agitated with his wife and the passengers around him. He also began taking pictures with his cellphone. When told this was also against flight regulations, he accused the flight staff of racial profiling.

He continued to act abusively, causing an elderly couple to ask staff if they could be moved to different seats. The couple told flight staff that he was drinking and cursing.

A short while later, flight attendants noticed that he began to argue loudly with his wife and saw a partially drunk bottle of vodka between them. Asked if he had been drinking, he told the attendants: “Yes, what if I f***ing am?”

At this stage, the bottle was taken from him and his wife asked to be moved to another seat because she feared for her safety.

Khelya’s behaviour continued to escalate, causing those seated around him to become more upset. He demanded to see his wife and, when refused, he said: “I’m going to f***ing kill you and I’m going to kill everyone after.”

He was then handcuffed and taken to the back of the aircraft while other passengers were moved from the area for their safety. As he was moved, the flight staff were forced to use blankets because he continually spat on passengers and crew.

The flight was diverted to Bermuda, where Khelya was arrested soon after landing.

Mr Byrne told the court that according to the UK law under which Khelya was charged, the maximum fine for being drunk on the aircraft was £5,000, ($7,858) while acting in a disruptive manner carried a maximum fine of £2,500 ($3,929).

Appearing in Magistrates’ Court, Khelya apologised for his behaviour, saying that he was celebrating his honeymoon and his actions were completely out of character.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I was on my honeymoon, I was with my wife. I was just a little bit drunk. I was trying to enjoy myself.

“I don’t know how I’m going to forgive myself. I don’t know how she’s going to forgive me.”

He said that he became upset because he had been handcuffed, but Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo noted that his behaviour began long before then.

Mr Tokunbo fined Khelya $2,000 for being drunk on the aircraft and another $1,000 for his abusive behaviour towards flight staff.

He added that both fines must be paid forthwith or Khelya would face four months of imprisonment at Westgate Correctional Facility.