Couple who ran on airport tarmac claim captain would have let them board

Two young Italians who rushed onto the airport tarmac in a bid to stop a departing aircraft last week have insisted in comments to the Italian media that they are not criminals and should not have been treated as such. The two were arrested, taken to court and fined €2,329 each. Il-Giornale, which carried their comments, said they had even won over some fans and there were suggestions that they should participate in auditions for Big Brother. The newspaper acknowledged that the two had risked prison and charges of terrorism. A lawyer said they could even have been shot at by police in some airports.  The two, Matteo Clementi, 26, and Enrica Apollonio, 23 however, said that although they were treated like criminals by the Maltese authorities, they had not done anything wrong.   They explained that they travelled to the airport by bus, but got stuck in traffic. They arrived late and the hostess would not let them through the gate, which had just closed. They pleaded to her that the plane was still there. Their decision to rush to the gate, Mr Clementi said, was spontaneous and stemmed from frustration at the hostess's attitude.   "We are not fools who would risk their lives," he...