Birmingham: The Birmingham Crown Court has found Jasbir Singh Bharaj guilty of being drunk on an aircraft, criminal damage, racially aggravated behaviour and common assault. The court has sentenced him to 11 months in jail after he abused the airline's staff during a drunken rampage.
The incident took place on September 16 last year when the Leicester native mixed vodka and wine on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Birmingham and proceeded to threat to punch an air hostess in the face, damaged an entertainment console. He also made sexually explicit gestures to a female member of staff and attacked and abused police officers after the plane landed in the UK.
He was dubbed the 'worst passenger he had ever encountered' by Emirates Airline staff, according to the Daily Mail.
"You demanded more alcohol and swore repeatedly even though there were four young children behind you who had to listen to your tirade. You told a female member of cabin crew that if she were on the ground you would punch her in the face. In a particularly grotesque piece of behaviour you dipped your fingers in your glass of wine and rubbed them on your private parts. The air hostess felt abused and disgusted after seeing you touch yourself in such a sexually explicit way,” Judge Burbridge QC told the 46-year-old while giving his sentence.
The judge added, "People need to know that if you get drunk on an aeroplane, upset other passengers and cause cabin crew to have a difficult job then custodial sentences apply. You have many previous convictions and it seems you will not learn your lesson."
Satvir Aujla, Bharaj's defence lawyer, claimed his client was recovering from a hip operation and was upset after seeing his estranged wife in Thailand.
During the rampage he had caused £2,643 worth of damage to the plane.