A golfer and her friend who allegedly went on a drunken rampage after being denied boarding of a flight back home will be spending more time in Malta after a court ordered that they be held in police custody. 

Chloe May Frankish, 25, and John Chinedu Uche, 31, both British nationals from Kent and London respectively, landed on the wrong side of the law on Wednesday evening when they attempted to board an EasyJet flight at around 9pm while drunk. 

When the pair refused to listen to cabin crew instructions, the police were called in. The situation escalated and the police officers had to call for backup from their colleagues at the Rapid Intervention Unit. 

When the couple were finally escorted to the police station at Malta International Airport, their aggressive behaviour allegedly continued.

During the incident, police had to taser the man. Frankish kept up her aggressive behaviour, prosecutors said, kicking and smashing a wooden gate.

She later told police that she was pregnant. But a medical test did not confirm that claim.

On Friday, the now sober pair were escorted to court, Frankish’s left tattooed forearm apparently in a cast. 

They were jointly charged with violently resisting arrest, refusing to obey legitimate orders of public officials, wilfully breaching the public peace as well as being drunk in public. 

Frankish was separately charged with wilfully damaging a gate attached to the desk at the police station. A woodworks company estimated the damage to be €436.

She was also charged with slightly injuring a police officer. 

Uche was separately charged with insulting and threatening public officers. 

The prosecution exhibited a denied boarding report by EasyJet, photos of the damages caused, the quote for the damages as well as a medical certificate. 

Both were initially inclined to plead guilty. 

However, following a short break to give the accused time to consult with their lawyer, the defence told the court that the accused were not fully understanding the implications of their guilty plea.

Magistrate Abigail Critien said that the court “was not convinced that they understood such guilty plea” and that the court could not assume responsibility for such a plea. 

“If the court were to do so [to accept their guilty plea] the court would be breaching your human rights,” explained the magistrate.

Nor did the court have peace of mind that any payments due by the accused would be settled in due time before they travelled out of Malta. 

The court thus registered a “not guilty” plea for both. 

No bail was requested at arraignment stage and the pair were remanded in custody. 

Inspector Roxanne Tabone prosecuted. Lawyer Alexia Vassallo was legal aid counsel.