Man caused nearly €10,000 of airport damage over missed flight, court hears

Eimear Dodd

A man who caused over €9,400 worth of damage at Dublin Airport after he missed his flight has been jailed for one year.

Lukas Kaunietis (29) pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage at Terminal One, Dublin Airport on March 17th, 2025.

He further pleaded guilty to one count of using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, with the intent to provoke a breach of the peace, or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might be occasioned.

Garda Peter Mullins told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Kaunietis was at a Ryanair gate at Dublin Airport at 7am, intending to fly to Lithuania. However, the gate was closed and he missed the flight.

Kaunietis, of no fixed abode in Ireland, opened and interfered with the computer and rifled through property at the gate. The court was told around 20 members of the public, including children, were sitting nearby.

He was approached by airport staff around 10 minutes later. Kaunietis then lifted the computer above his head and smashed it onto the ground.

He also took glasses from barrel tables at the nearby bar, smashing them on the ground, then lifted a metal barrier post, which he also threw onto the ground.

Kaunietis continued his offending, smashing more computers and equipment used to measure luggage.

He also rolled one barrel down a walkway, then picked up another one and held it over his head. Members of the public left the area, the court was told.

Airport staff approached Kaunietis again, with one asking him: “Do you realise what you did here?” He replied: “Whatever.”

They managed to calm him and he was cooperative when arrested by gardaí.

Stills from CCTV were shown to the court. Over €9,452 in damage was caused to property belonging to the airport and Ryanair.

Kaunietis has no previous convictions and entered an early guilty plea. He has been in custody since March 17th last.

Gda Mullins agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that his client intends to return to Lithuania upon his release from custody.

Mr Rea said his client is ashamed of his behaviour.

His client is a construction worker who had been working in Belfast for six weeks before this incident occurred and had been due to leave.

Judge Martin Nolan noted that Kaunietis arrived late for his flight and this “upset him”.

“He lost the run of himself and did a considerable amount of criminal damage” and “caused a considerable amount of difficulty and inconvenience,” the judge said.

He noted Kaunietis “wants to go home” and handed him a one-year sentence backdated to March 17th last.