Catherine Bellis, 44, who had started drinking vodka before even boarding the flight back to Liverpool's John Lennon Airport from Tenerife, continued to secretly drink from a duty-free bottle she had brought with her.

During the three-and-a-half-hour flight, she attacked her partner, Christopher Kenny, struck a member of the cabin crew, and confronted other passengers, asking them "what you looking at?".

Derek Jones, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the incident occurred on 26 November last year on a flight scheduled to land at 3.20 pm.

The couple were initially seated together, but a cabin crew member, Julie Pemberton, noticed Mr Kenny appeared distressed, reports Yorkshire Live.

"He indicated that he wished to move and that the defendant had been drinking vodka from the duty free bottle in her possession," said Mr Jones.

Bellis, a mother-of-two who had also consumed two drinks from the plane's onboard trolley, was warned not to drink from the duty-free bottle, and Mr Kenny was relocated to a seat in the middle of the aircraft, away from her.

Mr Jones added that Beata Haynes, an experienced member of the cabin crew, first noticed Bellis when she approached asking for a can of coke while Haynes was pushing the refreshment trolley down the aisle, according to The Mirror.

Bellis apologised and asked her to sit down and wait. However, after serving her a coke, Ms Haynes noticed that she was pouring vodka into it and warned her against doing so.

Despite this, 20 minutes later, other passengers informed her that she was consuming duty-free alcohol.

"Matters escalated when she again told her not to drink the vodka and requested her to hand over the bottle. She refused and argued. Ms Haynes threatened to inform the captain if she didn't comply, but it was to no avail," Mr Jones explained.

The pilot then reminded passengers that drinking duty-free alcohol on board was prohibited and urged them to follow the cabin crew's instructions. Ms Pemberton spoke to the defendant who handed over the bottle but persistently asked for more alcohol.

Bellis kept getting up in search of Mr Kenny, labelling him a "wife beater". He was relocated to another seat multiple times, and on several occasions, Ms Pemberton had to intervene between the quarrelling couple.

"At one point, the defendant started shouting at Ms Haynes, uttering words to the effect, 'what the f*** does she think she is', because she refused to serve any more alcohol. After the tannoy announcement, she also called her a t*** and a c***," Mr Jones added.

Ms Pemberton witnessed her punching her own palm in a threatening manner before striking Ms Haynes' hand without causing any injury. The two crew members moved her away, but she spotted her partner and hit him on the side of the head. Ms Pemberton had to intervene and escort her back to her seat.

Bellis shouted to other passengers 'what are you staring at' and Ms Pemberton had to stop other passengers getting involved. "She described herself as babysitting the defendant for the 40 minutes left of the flight until the plane landed," said Mr Jones.

"Ms Haynes says it was a very stressful situation and Ms Pemberton described Ms Haynes as being upset. The captain had to tannoy telling her (Bellis) to sit down in her seat." When the plane landed waiting police officers arrested her and "they noticed she was drunk, slurring her words and unsteady on her feet. She was interviewed and made full admissions.

Mr Jones said: "She said she had drunk vodka prior to boarding, had another two on board and was then drinking out of the duty free bottle. She apologised for her actions and was remorseful for her actions and recognised her behaviour was unacceptable especially on board a plane full of other people."

Pony tailed Bellis, from West Derby, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two offences of common assault and being drunk on an aircraft. A more serious charge of acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or passengers was dropped. Callum Ross, defending, said that Bellis has no previous convictions and has been employed in a local cafe for 13 years and references spoke of her being "hard working, kind and family orientated."

She and Mr Kenny are still in a relationship and he was in the public gallery supporting her, he said. She has started having talking therapy and described her behaviour that day as "the worst decision of her life."

Sentencing her to four months imprisonment suspended for 12 months Judge Stuart Driver, KC, said that what she had done was "completely out of character" and she has been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. "You showed immediate remorse and confessed straight away," he said.