A British traveler has been charged for allegedly hurling verbal abuse at airline staff and damaging an aerobridge at Changi International Airport (SIN) in Singapore.
A report by The Straits Times identified the man as Richard Michael Roll Burridge, aged 57, who is expected to plead guilty on March 20, 2025.
Based on reports, Burridge had already boarded his flight bound for London Heathrow Airport (LHR), when he realized that he had left his mobile phone at the airport lounge where he waited for his flight.
At the airport’s gate hold room, an airline staff member contacted the lounge and was advised that the mobile phone was not in the premises.
When Burridge indicated that he wanted to leave the hold room, the staff member told him that if he did so, he would be offloaded from the flight because it was already close to departure time.
Burridge then allegedly started to shout insults and abusive remarks towards the airline staff member, and also kicked and damaged the aerobridge that connected the aircraft to the gate.
Changi’s Airport Police Division was alerted, and Burridge was eventually offloaded from the flight. Burridge faces two charges: verbal abuse, which carries a fine of up to SGD 5,000 ($3752) or imprisonment for up to six months, or both; and committing mischief causing destruction to property, which carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.