Vodka-binging businessman 'sexually assaulted female cabin crew member before attacking her colleagues' on British Airways flight to London
A drunken businessman allegedly sexually assaulted an air stewardess and attacked other cabin crew after a vodka binge on a flight to London from Dubai.
Murad Sabir, 42, was arrested on the tarmac at Heathrow after the eight-hour British Airways flight on November 5 last year.
Mr Sabir got into a drunken rage at 39,000 feet on the double-decker Airbus jet and started lashing out at plane staff, it is claimed.
Rene de Silva, prosecuting, told Uxbridge Magistrates' Court: 'The defendant was on board drinking vodka throughout the flight.
'He was intoxicated and committed all the other offences fuelled by his intoxication.'
The prosecutor continued: 'The sexual assault is touching of the breast of one of the cabin crew over their clothing.
'He touches her breast and puts his arm around her neck.
'He has then grabbed another cabin crew member by the back of the head and another cabin crew member describes witnessing the sexual assault of their colleague.
Murad Sabir, 42, appeared in court after being charged with sexual assault following a drunken binge on a British Airways flight from Dubai to London in November
Mr Sabir was arrested on the tarmac at Heathrow after the eight hour flight and was further charged with three counts of assault by beating and one count of entering an aircraft when drunk
'Another cabin crew member refers to being hugged by the defendant.'
Horrified passengers tried to intervene with one getting the feeling 'the defendant was going to punch him', the prosecutor added.
Mr Sabir, of Rochdale, appeared in court in a black jacket with grey trousers and black loafers, wearing glasses.
He is charged with one count of sexual assault, three counts of assault by beating and one count of entering an aircraft when drunk.
Mr Sabir is also charged with one count of intentionally interfering with the performance of the cabin crew's duty and one count of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the cabin crew.
Mr Sabir will plead not guilty to any of the offences, his lawyer Antonia Attard said.
He was released on unconditional bail while he waits for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on February 3.
Magistrate Wendy Drinkwater told him: 'If you don't turn up at your next hearing, you will be committing a separate offence.
'If you commit any offence while on bail, it will be treated more seriously.'
