A man has admitted in court to drunkenly urinating on the floor of a KM Malta Airlines plane after ignoring cabin crew’s orders to wait until it was safe to use the bathroom. 

The incident happened on Sunday night - coincidentally the airline's first day of service.

Police inspector Roxanne Tabone told the court that German national Andreas Heize, 49, was on a flight from Berlin and asked to use the bathroom while the seatbelt sign was on. 

The crew told him that he could not go to the bathroom while the seatbelt sign was on, but he refused to listen and became aggressive. He was asked to take a seat at the very back of the plane, closest to the bathroom and told he could go in in about five minutes. But the passenger proceeded to relieve himself over the carpeted floor of the aircraft. 

Witnesses told police that it appeared that Heinze had attempted to turn his body to conceal what he was doing, but passengers sitting in the row opposite had a clear view.  

Heinze was arrested as soon as the plane arrived in Malta and continued to exhibit what police called “abnormal behaviour”. He was subsequently taken to Mater Dei Hospital where he was certified as being under the influence of alcohol. 

Heinze pleaded guilty and said he regretted what had happened.  

After hearing submissions and in agreement from both the defence and the prosecution, Magistrate Joseph Gatt found the accused guilty by his own admission and sentenced him to a three-month jail term suspended for three years. 

After learning that it will be Heinze’s birthday in two days and he plans on staying in Malta for another week, Magistrate Gatt warned him to stay on the straight and narrow and avoid repeating his mistakes. 

"I want you to behave like an altar boy, not even, like a saint, because if you make another mistake, you will go to jail,” the magistrate warned.   

Lawyer Adriano Spiteri appeared for Heinze.