'Disruptive and aggressive' Jet2 passenger dies after being restrained by fellow travellers

A "disruptive and aggressive" Jet2 passenger died after he was restrained by fellow travellers.

The 35-year-old bare-knuckle fighter from Warrington was pinned down by passengers and crew members aboard a flight from Cyprus to Manchester.

Callum Kerr was allegedly involved in assaults on a fellow traveller and a cabin crew member during the journey from Larnaca, prompting reports of aggressive and disruptive behaviour in the early hours of Monday.

Greater Manchester Police received calls shortly before 2.30am regarding the disturbance on the inbound aircraft.

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When officers boarded the plane following its arrival at Manchester Airport, they discovered Mr Kerr was being held by passengers and aircrew towards the rear of the aircraft.

Police applied handcuffs to detain him but swiftly realised he was not responding.

At the scene, officers administered first aid and commenced CPR before arranging his transfer to hospital.

The knuckle-fighter passed away the following day, on Tuesday.

The force confirmed it had submitted a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct owing to officers having had contact with Kerr before his death.

Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said: "I know there were many people on the flight who witnessed the violence and disruption prior to officers' arrival.

"We know passengers and aircrew worked to detain the man to bring the incident to an end."

The IOPC confirmed that the five officers who entered the aircraft are being treated as witnesses "rather than being investigated for their conduct".

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The watchdog's inquiry will examine the actions and decision-making of those officers to establish what occurred surrounding the passenger's death.

Evidence gathering is already underway, including body-worn camera footage and preliminary statements from police personnel.

Amanda Rowe from the IOPC explained the investigation would "focus on the actions of police, while a separate GMP investigation is considering the actions of the members of the public involved".

She confirmed the watchdog had contacted Kerr's family to explain its role and would provide ongoing updates.

Mr Kerr's family paid tribute, describing him as "a family man, father to three beautiful young children, a lover of sport and with a heart of gold".

Chief Superintendent Allen confirmed that specialist officers were keeping the family informed of developments and that support was being provided to his loved ones.

A Jet2 spokesman offered "sincere condolences to the customer's friends and family" but declined to comment further while investigations remain ongoing.

GMP detectives continue their work to establish the complete circumstances of what transpired during the flight, with both the police watchdog inquiry and the separate investigation into civilian actions proceeding simultaneously.

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