'Worst ever air-rage passenger' jailed after Birmingham flight rampage

Birmingham MAIL ^ | 24 NOV 2015 | HARVEY DAY

[sukhoi-30mki]

An air-rage passenger has been jailed after drunkenly abusing cabin crew on a flight from Dubai to Birmingham Airport - and biting a police officer when they tried to arrest him.

Jasbir Singh Bharaj, 46, was labelled by one flight attendant as the “worst passenger he had ever encountered” after he went on the rampage.

He was sentenced to a total of 11 months at Birmingham Crown Court for his actions aboard the Emirates plane on September 16 last year.

The court heard Bharaj, of Downing Drive, Leicester, had threatened to punch an air hostess in the face and caused more than £2,500 worth of damage to an in-flight entertainment console.

He also made sexually explicit gestures to a female member of staff and called police officers “white w*****s.”

Judge Burbridge QC, giving his sentence, told Bharaj: “On the Emirates flight you drank vodka mixed with wine and then proceeded to abuse cabin staff.

“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. And 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.

“You shouted ‘f*****g Muslims – send them back to where they came from’ and ‘f*****g ISIS’.

“When you landed you were abusive to police and bit PC Ingram on the arm.

“People need to know that if you get drunk on an airplane, upset other passengers and cause cabin crew to have a difficult job then custodial sentences should apply.

“You have many previous convictions and it seems you will not learn your lesson.”

One member of staff said unemployed Bharaj, who arrived at the hearing on crutches, was the “worst passenger he had ever encountered.”

He was found guilty of drunkenness on an aircraft, criminal damage, racially aggravated words and behaviour and common assault.

William Dudley, prosecuting, said: “On a flight from Dubai to Birmingham, having travelled from Thailand to see his estranged wife, Bharaj became extremely aggressive calling an air hostess a ‘f*****g b***h.’

“He also caused an estimated damage of £2,643 to Emirate airlines equipment.

“The captain arranged for police to meet the flight airside and they boarded the plane before any of the passengers could leave.

“Once the police arrived he continued to be verbally aggressive and threateningly said to a member of the cabin crew ‘I’ll see you later.’

“He referred to police as ‘white w*****s’ and ‘white b******s’ and in the police car he bit PC Ingram on the arm.

Satvir Aujla, defending, said: “Mr Bharaj is suffering from considerable ill health and is due to have a hip replacement on Wednesday.

“His first marriage ended when he found out his wife was having an affair and his second relationship with a Thai woman also ended poorly.

“He is ashamed and remorseful for his actions.”

[sukhoi-30mki]

Not necessarily, a lot of North Indian Hindus use Singh as a surname.

If this fellow is indeed a Sikh, he would be a cut surd (a a Sikh/sardar who is shaven and doesn’t use a turban); such folks are somewhat looked down upon by Sikhs.

[ViLaLuz]

I didn’t know that, thanks for the info.