A court has significantly increased the sentence of British citizen Salman Iftikhar for creating chaos on a flight from London to Lahore and threatening to rape and kill a female cabin crew member.
The father of three was previously sentenced to just 15 months in prison, which was criticized by the public and law enforcement officials as “overly lenient.”
Later, when the matter was sent to the Attorney General’s Office, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to a total of four years and three months. The incident, which occurred on February 7, 2023, recently came into the spotlight again after a lengthy legal process. Solicitor General Ellie Reeves described the brutality of the incident and his abuse of the cabin crew as “disgusting and appalling.”
Panic on the flight
Iftikhar was traveling with his family on a London-Lahore flight and began behaving abnormally after drinking too much champagne during the journey. When the ice self-serve was stopped, he attacked the cabin crew and began to abuse them while filming on his phone.
He then threatened to “gang rape” the head cabin crew member, Ms. Walsh, and said he would drag her out of her hotel room and set her on fire. His behavior became so heated that the pilots discussed the possibility of an emergency landing.
Passengers were terrified, and another passenger who recorded the video described the situation as “unbelievable.”
Crew collapse
Ms. Walsh said she had never experienced such a terrifying experience in her 37 years of service. She had flown on 9/11 and even in combat zones—yet the shock of the incident nearly broke her.
The eight hours of abuse, threats and personal insults left her so emotionally devastated that she was forced to take 14 months off work. She said there was nowhere to escape at 39,000 feet in the sky, which left her helpless. According to her, the incident changed her confidence, career and life—everything.
Sentence enhancement and justice
Iftikhar initially denied the charges in court, but he pleaded guilty before the trial began. The appeal court, reviewing his 15-month sentence at the request of the public, increased it by three years.
The Solicitor General said it was important to ensure appropriate punishment for such violent and misogynistic behavior. He hoped that the verdict would bring a sense of justice to the victims, including the cabin crew. The court felt that Iftikhar’s behavior had put not only the cabin crew but the entire flight in danger.
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@dailymirror His sentence was increased to four years and three months
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