‘I’m an architect and you’re just a hostess’: Hunt for drunk passenger who beat attendant and accused her of racism
Simone de Gale, 44, has been convicted after attacking a flight attendant on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Dubai to Heathrow. The case matters because the court heard that the confrontation began after crew asked her not to walk through an aisle beside a sleeping family and their baby.
The court heard that de Gale, an architect from Notting Hill, shouted insults and accused staff of racism before jabbing attendant Sarah Jane Buckland near the collarbone and grabbing her cardigan. Police said she appeared drunk when she left the plane; she was convicted in her absence on four charges, including being drunk on an aircraft and assault. A warrant has been issued for her arrest after her personal assistant said she had been stranded in Dubai since 8 September.
- Architect convicted after assaulting a flight attendant on a Dubai to Heathrow flight.
- The dispute began when crew asked her not to disturb a sleeping baby.
- She was found guilty in her absence and a warrant was issued.
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Flight attendants are responsible for passengers’ safety and comfort, and can ask people to follow instructions while on board. Rules also prohibit passengers from being drunk on an aircraft or assaulting crew.
Virgin Atlantic is a UK airline that operates international flights, including services between Dubai and Heathrow. Police and courts can deal with alleged offences on flights arriving in the UK; a conviction may be entered even if the accused person is not in court.
The case involves claims of both physical assault and racist abuse, alongside an accusation of racism made by the passenger. Those issues are matters for the court, which considers the evidence before reaching a verdict.