Man and woman who yelled, stripped on Newfoundland flight fined $4,000 each

A man and a woman in Newfoundland have each been fined $4,000 for endangering the safety of an airline flight by refusing to remain in their seats, yelling at passengers and crew, and removing some of their clothing.

The incident occurred on Aug. 28, 2024, aboard a Flair Airlines flight headed to Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, according to a Corner Brook court decision.

Corey Pancer, 56, and Deborah Bojman were both involved in disruptive behavior during the flight, with Pancer refusing to follow instructions, yelling obscenities, and removing his shirt, while Bojman also refused to stay in her seat and removed clothing and walked the aisle yelling.

Pancer pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft in flight and interfering with the lawful use of property; Bojman pleaded guilty to the same charges in separate proceedings and had already been fined $4,000 at an earlier date.

Provincial court Judge Wayne Gorman noted parity principles in the Criminal Code required the same sentence for both defendants, but also stated the sentence did not reflect the seriousness of the crimes. He indicated, if not for the Crown’s request for parity, he might have imposed a period of imprisonment.