Pilot "tied up unruly widow with dog lead"
                    By John Hiscock in Los Angeles
 A WEALTHY widow has been charged with interfering with the crew of
 an airliner after an altercation in the first-class cabin involving
 her dog.
 Marcelle Becker, who is suing the airline, claims that the pilot
 tied her up with the dog's lead and that the 8lb Maltese, named Dom
 Perignon, died a few weeks later of injuries and stress suffered
 during the scuffle.
 A federal grand jury in Los Angeles heard that her actions posed a
 serious threat to the other people on board the American Airlines
 flight from New York to Los Angeles in July 1995. A lawyer for the
 airline said: "At one point, she threatened to open the hatch door
 and break a window, threatening to crash the aircraft and all on
 board."
 Mrs Becker, the widow of a Beverly Hills insurance salesman, faces
 up to 20 years in jail if convicted. She contended that the crew
 refused to let her place a carrier containing Dom Perignon on the
 seat beside her. She said that, although she had bought the dog a
 first-class ticket, a flight attendant pushed the carrier under the
 seat and kicked it.
 She cried out: "How dare you hurt my baby?" The dog escaped, a
 scuffle broke out and the pilot tied her up with Dom Perignon's
 leash, she alleged.
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