British man accused of being disorderly on plane and hitting woman pleads not guilty

A British man accused of becoming belligerent on an international flight, hitting a woman traveling with him and urinating on the plane's seats and floor pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Darren Halliwell was arraigned on charges of disorderly conduct, assault and battery and disrupting the operation of an aircraft. The British Airways flight from London to Houston was diverted Wednesday to Boston's Logan International Airport.

Prosecutors said Halliwell was drunk and began yelling at a 14-year-old girl traveling with her family. They said he became aggressive when flight attendants tried to calm him and then struck his female companion in the face with the back of his hand.

Halliwell, 46, is from Aspull, a village in Greater Manchester, England. His lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday.

An East Boston Municipal Court judge set Halliwell's bail at $5,000. Halliwell is due back in court on July 29.