Schizophrenic British man who caused Virgin flight U
The father of a young British man who allegedly tried to pull open the cabin door of a Virgin Atlantic plane mid-flight says he has been diagnosed as schizophrenic and should be allowed to return to the UK for treatment.
Robert Hughes, 25, was arrested on August 10 after his behaviour on board the London-bound flight forced pilots to turn around and return to Hong Kong.
The plane, which was carrying 240 passengers and 16 crew members, was forced to dump fuel on the way back in order to make a safe landing.
A police source said at the time that Hughes – who has lived in China for four years teaching English – had pushed a flight attendant, sang and shouted, while an airline source revealed the 25-year-old had tried to yank open the cabin door.
He has not been charged and was released on bail within 48 hours. A court ordered Hughes to stay t Kwai Chung psychiatric hospital where he was taken after his arrest.
Hughes’s family the Liverpool Echo newspaper that he had taken the August 10 flight after his brother Peter had visited and recommended he return home because he was “behaving oddly”.
His mother Helen had flown to Hong Kong to organise his return to England and was on the Virgin Atlantic flight with him.
“It has been a huge nightmare for the family. We have gone from everyone being happy to all of a sudden our lives being blown to pieces,” his father Cliff told the Echo.
“We are trying to achieve Robert being released so he can come home, whether that would be on a normal chartered flight or with a medical escort.
“90 minutes into the flight home the flight hit turbulence and passengers were asked to fasten their seatbelts. For some reason Robert didn’t want to do this and the more he was asked the more agitated he became,” his father said.
Hughes was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was later moved to the nearby psychiatric hospital.
His mother and brother remain in Hong Kong and are liaising with the British consulate.
“But we do not know when the doctors will release him as safe to travel and if the airlines will allow him to fly,” his father Cliff added.
A person familiar with the case told the Post that the family should approach the Hospital Authority to assess if Hughes is well enough for the court order to be cancelled. They could also apply directly to the court for the order’s cancellation.
The source described Hughes's case as “straightforward”, saying there is little doubt that his disruptive behaviour on the flight was due to mental illness. Police are unlikely to advise against his release if consulted by a court on the matter, the source added.