Tardiness and rash decision cost desperate traveller dearly

A 32-year-old Spanish man has been slapped with a €2,300 fine after he admitted to opening an emergency exit at the airport in an attempt to board a flight to Madrid.

Luis Salas De Teodoro, who resides in Madrid and had been visiting his girlfriend in Malta, was charged with trespassing and entering a restricted area at the Malta International Airport on Sunday.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia heard police inspector Silvio Magro explain how yesterday morning, the accused had turned up at the gate for his Ryanair flight to Madrid, only to find that he had arrived too late.

The gate was closed, as was the checkout desk, which he found to be unattended.

De Teodoro then allegedly peered out of the window and, seeing the aircraft was on the apron, opened the emergency exit and attempted to run towards the plane.

The attempt failed however, and the accused was apprehended by security staff.

During the man’s arraignment this afternoon, the accused told the court that his intention had been to speak to the airport staff, but the magistrate explained that once the gate was closed, there was no justification for him to be outside the terminal.

“Take one step outside of that door and you are breaking the law.”

The accused faced up to five years imprisonment for the act, explained the magistrate, however, the circumstances surrounding this case merited a fine.

De Teodoro pleaded guilty and explained that he lacked the funds to pay any fines and was not going to ask his family to pay it for him.

He was handed a fine of €2,300, €300 of which he was to pay immediately, with the rest being paid in monthly installments.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop represented the accused.