A man who caused a passenger jet to divert to Bermuda after allegedly trying to open a door at 35,000 feet is facing a UK Crown Court trial.

Dean Lyons, of Basingstoke, Hampshire, has appeared at Mid Sussex Magistrates' Court where he was remanded in custody until August 21. He did not enter a plea to the charge of being drunk on an aircraft and is now likely to face committal proceedings to Crown Court, the UK equivalent of Bermuda's Supreme Court.

Lyons, 29, allegedly forced the flight crew of FCA flight 082 to land at L.F. Wade International Airport, after becoming "abusive" and lunging at an exit door on the aircraft.

The First Choice Airways Boeing 767-300 was en route from Gatwick to Cuba when the incident happened on July 16.

On arrival in Bermuda at 6.45 p.m., officers from the Bermuda Police Service boarded the plane to take Mr. Lyons into custody. The 268 passengers and 12 cabin crew had to be accommodated overnight at the Fairmont Southampton and Grotto Bay Beach Resort.

The charter jet then resumed its journey to Cuba at 1 p.m. on July 17 - some 18 hours later. Lyons was not charged by the Bermuda Police Service but was flown back to the UK on Zoom Airlines later that day, accompanied by two security guards.

He was arrested by Sussex Police at Gatwick Airport on July 18.