A man who caused more than €9,400 worth of damage at Dublin Airport after missing his flight has been sentenced to one year in prison.
Lukas Kaunietis, 29, admitted to three counts of criminal damage at Terminal One on 17 March, 2025, reports RTE.
He also pleaded guilty to using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour intended to provoke a breach of the peace, or being reckless as to whether such a breach might occur.
Garda Peter Mullins told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Kaunietis had been at a Ryanair departure gate at 7am, preparing to fly to Lithuania, but he arrived after the gate had closed and missed the flight, reports RTE.
Kaunietis, who has no fixed address in Ireland, began opening and interfering with the computer at the gate and rummaging through property, while roughly 20 members of the public, including children, were seated nearby.
About ten minutes later airport staff approached him, and he raised the computer above his head before smashing it onto the floor, reports RTE.
He then grabbed glasses from barrel tables at a nearby bar and shattered them on the ground, before picking up a metal barrier post and throwing it down.
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He proceeded to break additional computers and equipment used for measuring luggage, reports RTE.
He also rolled one barrel down a walkway, picked up another, and lifted it over his head, prompting members of the public to leave the area.
When staff approached him again, one asked: “Do you realise what you did here?” and he responded: “Whatever”, reports RTE.
They managed to calm him down, and he cooperated when gardaí arrived and placed him under arrest.
CCTV stills shown to the court indicated that damage amounting to €9,452 had been caused to property owned by the airport and Ryanair, reports RTE.
Kaunietis has no prior convictions and entered an early guilty plea. He has been in custody since 17 March.
Gda Mullins confirmed to Luigi Rea BL, defending, that Kaunietis intends to return to Lithuania following his release, reports RTE.
Mr Rea told the court that his client feels ashamed of how he acted.
Kaunietis works in construction and had been employed in Belfast for six weeks before the incident, after which he had been scheduled to depart, reports RTE.
Judge Martin Nolan said Kaunietis had arrived late for his flight and that this had “upset him”, reports RTE.
“He lost the run of himself and did a considerable amount of criminal damage” and “caused a considerable amount of difficulty and inconvenience”, reports RTE.
The judge added that Kaunietis “wants to go home” and imposed a one-year sentence backdated to 17 March last, reports RTE.
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