Credit: Central News
A recruitment boss has been jailed for 15 months after a tirade of death threats and racist abuse at cabin crew on an eight-hour flight.
Salman Iftikhar, 37, was flying first class from London Heathrow to Lahore on a Virgin Atlantic flight when he told crew member Angie Walsh that she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gang raped and set alight.
Another passenger took a video of Iftikhar as he accused Ms Walsh of being a racist and said: “You called me a P--i in front of everybody.”
Iftikhar, whose LinkedIn profile says he is the director and founder of Staffing Match, a recruitment firm, was flying with his wife and three children at the time of the incident on February 7 2023, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
Prosecutor Abdul Kapadia said Iftikhar was drinking champagne at the onboard bar and leant over to get his own ice.
When he was told to return to his seat, he told cabin crew: “Don’t tell me what to do you racist f---ing b--ch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.”
Iftikhar returned to his seat and called Ms Walsh a “f---ing b--ch”.
Mr Kapadia said Iftikhar’s behaviour worsened to the point where cabin crew discussed diverting the plane to Turkey.
He said: “His wife was ashamed. His three children were also on board, and other crew members were called to assist, but the defendant continued shouting and swearing.”
He was described as “slurring his words” as he got up from his seat and “grabbed Ms Walsh’s hand” and called her a “f---ing white Welsh c---”, continuing his tirade despite his children “crying and pleading for him to stop”.
Mr Kapadia added: “The defendant also threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay.”
Iftikhar shouted that Ms Walsh would be “dragged by [her] hair” and “gang raped and set on fire”. He also said she would “be dead on the floor of [her] hotel” and added “the white sheep sh---ing b---h will be dead. The floor of [her] hotel will be blown up and it will disappear”.
Mr Kapadia said when the plane landed in Pakistan no action was taken against Iftikhar, but he was arrested at his home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, on March 16 last year.
Ms Walsh, who had been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years, said she had to take 14 months off work as she was “traumatised by the threat of being gang raped”.
She said: “I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a war zone. But this incident has broken me.”
Iftikhar admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment in relation to Ms Walsh. He was cleared of assault by beating and threats to kill in relation to another flight attendant, Mr Merchant.
Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, said: “Although there were over 100 incidents over the course of eight hours, the most serious, including threats to kill, were limited. He has a long-standing drug and alcohol problem, which he has not addressed for many years.”
Iftikhar has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008, the court heard.
The judge, Ms Recorder Annabel Darlow KC, said: “Your threats to kill were made in the presence of children, specifically your three young children. This was an appalling incident which has caused long lasting and devastating consequences.”
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