Drunken BlackBerry execs chewed through restraints

BlackBerry maker RIM faced embarrassment on December 5 as two of the company’s executives pleaded guilty on a mischief charge.

George Campbell (45), and Paul Wilson (38) got so drunk and belligerent on their Air Canada flight from Toronto to Beijing that they had to be restrained with plastic handcuffs by crew and passengers.

The plane was forced to turn around, near the North Pole, and land in Vancouver.

Messrs Campbell and Wilson were ordered to pay Air Canada $C35,878 ($NZ46,000) in restitution each (the airline says the abandoned flight cost it $C200,000). And they both lost their jobs.

Now, court documents obtained by Canada’s CBC have revealed fresh details about the incident, causing a new wave of embarrassment for RIM.

They include that Mr Campbell threatened to (according to the Crown prosecutor) “off people as they left the plane”.

It was also disclosed that the captain and crew initially thought they had subdued Campbell and Wilson, with the aid of plastic handcuffs and tape. Yet the pair eventually "chewed their way through their restraints."

One of the men assaulted a flight attendant, while another crew member was threatened.

With the situation deteriorating, the pilots instituted a lock-down (requiring all passengers to remain in their seats) and made the decision to turn the plane around and return to Canada.

In a statement, RIM said its executives did not meet the company's "standards of business behaviour."

NBR staff
Wed, 14 Dec 2011

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Drunken BlackBerry execs chewed through restraints

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