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Seth Wenig/AP/Press Association Images
Flight Attendant
JetBlue attendant pleads guilty to mischief charges
Man made famous when quitting his job ordered to reimburse airline for his dramatic emergency exit.
THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO dramatically exited a plane after a dispute with a passenger has pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal mischief.
Steven Slater, 38, ended his career at the airline by inflating the emergency slide and using it to exit the plane as it was parked at a New York airport.
He gained international fame in the process, and one Facebook page set up in his honour has been ‘liked’ by over 200,000 people.
Slater initially claimed he was reacting to an incident in which a passenger refused to obey his instructions. However, some passengers on board at the time claim he was behaving rudely to passengers without cause.
Today, Slater was ordered to participate in a year-long mental health programme as well as alcohol and substance abuse counselling, Reuters reports. If he fails to comply, he could face up to three years in prison.
Slater was ordered to pay JetBlue $10,000 to cover the cost of fixing the emergency chute he used as his exit.
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