Mohammed Amin, 33, (pictured) was seated in economy on the Oman Air flight from Muscat to Manchester, while his parents were in business
A Muslim passenger who stormed the business class area of a flight and snatched alcohol from his father before abusing and threatening cabin crew has been jailed for 12 months
Mohammed Amin, 33, was seated in economy on the Oman Air flight from Muscat to Manchester, while his parents were in business.
After staff refused to serve him vodka – upon the instruction of his strict parents who cited ‘health concerns’ – Amin gatecrashed the business class area of the flight.
There, he snatched a drink from his father and harassed cabin crew for more.
When his requests were refused Amin hurled racist abuse at two female flight attendants before threatening to ‘smash in’ the face of a cabin manager called to intervene.
Eventually, several cabin crew and four male passengers were able to subdue him and the plane – carrying 246 passengers and 13 staff members – continued to Manchester.
Amin was jailed for 12 months after he admitted interfering with cabin crew and common assault. He denied being drunk during his appearance at Minshull Street Crown Court.
During his rampage in August, Amin ripped up a letter warning him about his conduct before squaring up to the manager and saying: ‘Suck my d***. Wait until we get back to Manchester and you’ll see what happens to you.’
When Amin’s mother tried to calm her son down, he snapped: ‘Go back b****’.
He then struggled violently with cabin crew as they tried to place him in restraints – before four male passengers stepped in and overpowered him.
One terrified mother on the 12-hour flight with her two children – aged just seven and five – described how Amin was ‘thrashing around’ as he was held against the exit door.
She said he violently banged against the side of the aircraft, and the mother hugged her children for the remainder of the flight with their ears held tightly against her chest to block out the noise.
The pilot considered diverting the plane but touched down at Manchester where police were waiting, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard.
As Amin was escorted from the aircraft he tried to spit at one attendant and told the manager: ‘I’m going to f*** you up bro’.
The rampage began shortly after the 2.30pm flight took off from Muscat, Oman, on august 19, 2019.
Miss Zoe Dawson prosecuting said: ‘Just one hour into the flight the defendant who had been sat in economy class was refused an alcoholic drink from a member of cabin crew.
‘This was in part due to the defendant’s parents both sat in business class having instructed the crew not to serve the defendant alcohol due to health concerns.
‘The defendant commented that this was not for his parents to decide, and he requested to go and speak with them in the Business Class Cabin.
‘Crew members stated he could not do this but he pushed past them, took a seat in business class, forcibly snatched an alcoholic drink from his father, then took it back to the economy cabin.
‘For the next 90 minutes he calmed down but then made a further request for vodka resulting in the cabin director Mr Ahmed Al-Rhabi saying if his behaviour continued to be acceptable then he would be served.
After staff refused to serve him vodka – upon the instruction of his parents who cited ‘health concerns’ – Amin gatecrashed the business class area of the flight. Pictured: File image of an Oman Air plane
‘The defendant then repeatedly moved to and from his seat into the galley to harass crew members into serving him more alcohol, as well as attempting to purchase alcohol through the duty free items being sold onboard.
‘When the lights in the cabin were dimmed to allow passengers a period of rest, the defendant refused to return to his seat and became visibly more agitated and was raising his voice.
‘Crew members began to feel more and more uncomfortable given they were stood with him in a confined space.’
As he became increasingly agitated, Amin began shouting racial abuse at crew members – calling them ‘African b****’ and ‘Chinese b****’, the court heard.
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Miss Dawson added: ‘A number of other passengers requested he mind his language and behaviour given the large number of children present on the flight.
‘Eventually the defendant returned to his seat, however Mr Al-Rhabi was again called and on reaching the back of the plane, the defendant began pushing Mr Al-Rhabi and threatening to “smash” his head in.
‘The defendant’s mother intervened and attempted to calm him down – but he simply shouted for her to “go back b****”.’
As his behaviour escalated, crew deemed it necessary to apply their emergency restraints but – due to there being only one male crew member on board – four male passengers were requested to assist in restraining the defendant.
He was taken to the floor and the restraints were applied, but Amin still refused to sit still. The crew had to re-apply the restraints a further three times.
‘He headbutted and kicked out a number of times at Mr Al-Rhabi and also shouted in such a way that spittle landed on his face’, the prosecutor added.
‘Upon restraints being applied, the defendant continued to kick out towards seats in front of him – and as a result a number of passengers were moved into business class, including children.
‘One female cabin crew member said she was afraid to move through the area where he was seated as he was kicking out as people walked passed.’
A passenger said the situation filled her with ‘terror’ and dubbed it a ‘brewing brawl’.
She said had never been more fearful for both her and her children’s life.
Miss Dawson added: ‘The pilot said it was only as a result of the crew and passengers successfully restraining the defendant, and the fact that this incident had escalated during the latter half of the flight, which allowed the flight to continue on to its destination.
‘Had this incident occurred earlier he would have had no choice but to divert the aircraft.’
Amin had previous convictions for public order matters.
In mitigation, defence counsel Miss Erim Mushtaq said her client was born and brought up in the UK but his parents had moved back to their native Pakistan when he was 14.
She added: ‘The defendant has a difficult relationship with his parents.
‘Each and every time he has gone to Pakistan to visit them, they do not accept his lifestyle and they have responded out of misplaced well-meaning to try to “cure” the defendant and as a result have had him forcibly placed in rehabilitation units.
‘The family equate drinking to be as bad as taking class A drugs and although he has controlled his drinking it’s a lifestyle choice for him.
‘The difficulty he has is they do not accept he should be able to exercise his free will to drink if he wants to.
‘He is someone who believes that he should be able to exercise his rights, whereas his family want to impose on him what they consider for a good Muslim boy.
‘It’s clear the crew had listened to the parents who told staff not to give him alcohol.
‘It was maybe misplaced anger that he felt at being being controlled and decided when he could drink and how he could drink.
‘He then took that anger out on flight crew and others for which he is genuinely ashamed of himself.
‘One passenger said said the defendant was drunk but he had one drink, which was taken from his father in business class and then demanded more drinks later.’
Sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Paul Taylor told Amin: ‘One passenger said your behaviour frightened her and said she saw your eyes were glazed and pupils were small and you seemed intoxicated.
‘She was critical of the way the crew handled the situation, but it’s probably right to say she had no experience dealing with drunk, aggressive passengers.
‘There was no excuse for you taking your anger out on others.’
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