Shane Mathew Diedrichs was fined $600 for his actions on the flight.

Commonwealth prosecutor Rebecca Blaszczyk said the doctor had been asleep with his seat reclined but was asked by the accused to return it to the upright position when he awoke.

Ms Blaszczyk said when the doctor refused, Diedrichs became agitated.

Shane Mathew Diedrichs took exception to the passenger in front of him reclining his seat on a flight from Wellington to Brisbane.

Witness statements partially read by Ms Blaszczyk described the defendant as “pushing, kicking and kneeing” the rear of the seat in front of him.

She told the court flight attendants intervened, offering to move the defendant to a different seat.

However, as he was passing the doctors seat, the accused was said to have struck the back of the doctor’s headrest with his hand.

The prosecution told the court the doctor claimed to have suffered a whip lash injury to his neck resulting from the incident.

Ms Blaszczyk said when the flight from Wellington to Brisbane landed, Diedrichs was co-operative with police, offering them a full statement of what had happened.

In court today he pleaded guilty to offensive and disorderly behaviour.

Defence lawyer Hellen Shilton told the court her client, who travels between Australia and New Zealand for work, was genuinely remorseful for his actions.

She said Diedrichs had been upset on that particular flight because he had not been paid $4500 for a job he had completed.

Outside court Diedrichs told media he was remorseful for his actions but insisted he had asked the man nicely to return his seat to an upright position.

“No one reclines their seat between here and New Zealand,” he said. “I’m not a violent person. I’m not an angry person. It was just bad timing.”

Magistrate Bronwyn Spinger, accepted Diedrichs was remorseful for his actions. She fined him $600.

 Source: Brisbane Courier Mail, Tom Snowdon, July 10^th 2015