Martin Johnson, 56, downed a bottle of white wine at Bristol airport on April 27 before boarding a flight with the low-cost carrier to Malaga.

Bristol Crown Court heard how Johnson, of Harlow in Essex, was seen by passengers drinking from a second bottle of wine which he had hidden in a bag under his seat before going into the aircraft toilet, the Guardian reports.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said cabin crew alerted the pilot after they discovered an empty bottle of wine in the toilet and realised someone had urinated all over the cubicle.

After staff announced that the flight was returning to Bristol, Johnson became abusive, the court heard.

He told cabin crew: “If the pilot turns us around I am going to stab him and I am going to hit him,” later adding: “I’m going to stab an air hostess and kill everybody on the plane.”

Upon landing back in Bristol, Johnson, who is also known as James Kelly, was arrested and charged with being drunk on an aircraft.

He pleaded not guilty to the offence but was later convicted by magistrates after skipping bail - he has also since been banned from flying with easyJet.

Johnson, who was not represented, told the court he was “sorry” for his actions, adding: “I have been out of trouble for a long time and I wish there was some alternative to prison.”

Upon jailing him for eight months yesterday (August 11) Judge Michael Longman said he believed Johnson’s behaviour caused “fear and alarm” to his fellow passengers.

He added: “The vast majority of aircraft passengers are sensible and law-abiding and when people act irresponsibly and idiotically like you did, sentences of imprisonment will always be required.

“I take into account there was no physical violence although the oral threats were bad enough. In the circumstances there must be a sentence of immediate imprisonment.”