British tourists face charges in flight disruption

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2001 | 8:49 a.m.

Two Englishmen who were released from federal custody Tuesday were ordered by a U.S. Magistrate to return to Las Vegas to face charges of interfering with a flight to McCarran International Airport last week.

Christopher Barry Redford, 39, and Peter Matthew Medcalf, 38, had planned to spend the weekend at the Bellagio and watch fellow countryman Lennox Lewis regain his championship.

Instead, the two men spent the weekend in the North Las Vegas jail after allegedly swearing at flight attendants, demanding liquor and making threats, according to an FBI complaint.

U.S. Magistrate Peggy Leen released Redford and Medcalf and ordered each to each pay a $1,000 bond.

"After Sept. 11, people are terrified to fly, and they don't need you to make it worse," Leen told the two men. "If you do not return to answer these charges, the United States government will not forget about you."

Redford and Medcalf could face between 27 and 33 months in prison if convicted, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Johnson said.

Leen set a probable cause hearing for Nov. 30, and ordered the two men to abstain from drinking alcohol while their case is pending.

Redford and Medcalf flew from London into McCarran Thursday on Virgin Atlantic Flight 043 with friends John Lancaster and Jason Donovan.

Lancaster and Donovan testified on behalf of their friends, and refuted the allegations that their behavior interfered with the flight.

"Both of them probably had a little too much to drink, but they weren't swearing or threatening anyone," Lancaster said after the hearing. "They were just being merry, and when they get merry they sing and laugh rather loudly. Of course Peter has a horrible voice, but they do like to sing and then they usually fall asleep." Redford and Medcalf had some drinks before boarding the flight from London to Las Vegas, Lancaster said.

Medcalf and Redford were served alcohol on the flight and began singing and disturbing other passengers, according to the complaint. About three hours into the 10 1/2-hour flight, the complaint says, Medcalf began swearing at one of the flight attendants.

One flight attendant told the FBI that she observed Redford taking beer from one of the plane's galleys without permission.

When Redford refused to sit down after being told by a female flight attendant, he exposed himself to her, the complaint alleges. The complaint also states that Redford exposed the top half of his buttocks to another flight attendant.

The four friends all live outside London, and had been planning the trip to Las Vegas for months, Lancaster said.

"We originally were going to have 10 people coming over, but with what's been happening with air travel only the four of us ended up at the airport," Lancaster said. "I was pretty scared to even be getting on a plane, so I had a few drinks before getting on."

Lancaster said that although he was not familiar with the U.S. court system, he said the treatment of his friends was heavy-handed.

"I know it was wrong for them to be drunk like that on the plane, but it seems like too much is being made of this," Lancaster said. "I ended up going to the fight, but it was hard to have fun this weekend because I was worried about my friends."