What this man did mid-flight got him thrown in jail
A British man has been jailed for nearly 10 years after he started a fire on board an airplane when sneaking a cigarette in the toilet.
John Cox was travelling from Birmingham to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt when he threw the butt into the bin, igniting a fire that "could have killed 200 on board".
The 46-year-old former soldier was initially jailed for more than four years but, on May 25, the Court of Appeal ruled the sentence was "unduly lenient" and increased it to nine years and six months.
"The potential for causing disaster here was plain and obvious," Lady Justice Sharp told the court, the International Business Times reported.
"The sentence passed was unduly lenient, this offence called for a deterrent sentence and condign punishment."
A smoke detector first went off an hour into the Monarch Airlines flight, prompting a stern warning from the captain about smoking.
The second incident in a different toilet started a fire and the captain issued a mayday call before making an emergency landing.
Cox was detained by Egyptian authorities and pleaded guilty to reckless arson at Birmingham Crown Court in March.
What’s your take? Do you think the punishment fits the crime?
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.