Terrified women and children on a packed holiday flight were left in tears by the drunken antics of two men.

Peter Spelling, formerly from Brighton, travelling with another man, turned nasty when cabin crew refused to serve them more vodka on a flight from Gatwick to Malaga in Spain.

Flight attendant Lloyd Collins was told he would be thrown out of a window if he did not serve them more alcohol.

Spelling then turned to some of the 148 passengers on the British Airways' flight, demanding they should buy more booze for them, Lewes Crown Court heard.

Adrian Chaplin, prosecuting, said James Baker, a pensioner sitting in front of him, made a brave attempt to intervene when Spelling and another man turned abusive.

He said: "James Baker, who was 70, took it on himself to stand up and tell these two to stop what they were doing.

"He said there were women and children on the flight who were frightened and crying."

Spelling responded by grabbing the pensioner's jumper and ripping it.

Karen Gillies, another member of the cabin crew, was punched in the stomach as she struggled to get handcuffs on him.

Spanish police were called and led the two men from the aircraft in handcuffs when it touched down at Malaga in July 2001.

They decided not to prosecute and the pair were released.

But the pilot later reported the incident to the Civil Aviation Authority and Sussex Police were asked to prosecute both men.

Spelling, who now lives in Tant Avenue, Canning Town, London, was arrested a year later. The second man is still on the run.

Spelling, 25, pleaded guilty to drunkenness on an aircraft and to assaulting Mr Baker.

He was jailed for 15 months when he appeared for sentence yesterday.

Mark Balysz, defending, said: "Mr Spelling is not a villain and I stress that because his father certainly is.

"The behaviour he has witnessed from his father, who has served time in prison, has had an effect on him.

"He has looked up to his father and has done as he has been told in the past.

"However, he earns an honest living running a tanning salon employing four people and, apart from minor offences when he was a juvenile, is of good character."

Judge Simon Coltart told Spelling: "You participated fully in a what was a disgraceful episode.

"You subjected airline staff and other passengers, including women and children, to your insults, verbal abuse and physical assault.

"They were disgusted, distressed and, in some cases, terrified."