UAE court jails sailor for molesting Pinay flight attendant, colleagues

A United Arab Emirates court sentenced a sailor to one year in jail for trying to enter the cockpit of an Emirates plane in flight, and trying to molest a Filipina flight attendant and her colleagues last February.

The Dubai Court of First Instance ordered the Ukranian sailor, 28, for risking the plane’s safety, air rage and molestation, Gulf News reported Wednesday.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal also fined the sailor Dh1,000 for drinking, and ordered his deportation once he completes his sentence.

The primary ruling is subject to appeal within 15 days, the report said.

Court records showed the sailor got drunk and tried to enter the cockpit during the Dubai-bound flight.

He became aggressive towards the flight’s security officer and the two air attendants who tried to calm him down.

Investigation showed the sailor ran up and down the aisle and tried to enter the cockpit, then groped a Romanian hostess and hugged and tried to kiss her Filipina colleague.

Prosecutors charged the sailor with assaulting government employees including the security officer and air hostesses, who it said were trying to do their job at the time.

For his part, the sailor, who appeared in court, admitted he had consumed alcohol but denied the rest of the charges.

When asked if he assaulted the victims, the accused claimed that he acted in self-defense.

The Romanian stewardess said the incident took place 90 minutes after takeoff from Singapore. She said the accused "misbehaved on board and tried to smoke a cigar."

She said the sailor also tried to enter the cockpit a number of times when he was drunk.

"We prevented him from drinking more liquor. The flight’s security officer and others managed to restrain the defendant and buckle him into his seat after the pilot ordered them to do so. The defendant groped me,” she said.

The Filipina said the sailor molested her as well.

Meanwhile, the flight’s Sri Lankan security officer said they prevented the sailor from entering the cockpit.

“When the pilot ordered us to restrain him and buckle him in his seat, he acted rowdily and assaulted us. We managed to buckle him into his seat until the plane landed safely in Dubai where he was handed over to the police,” he said. Joel Locsin/KBK, GMA News

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