'Worst passenger ever' jailed for 11 months after plane rampage

An unruly plane passenger who threatened to punch cabin crew, made lewd gestures and bit a police officer has been jailed for 11 months.

Jasbir Singh Bharaj was branded by one of the flight attendants as the "worst passenger he had ever encountered" after the rampage on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Birmingham Airport on 16 September 2014.

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Birmingham Crown Court heard how Bharaj threatened to punch an air hostess, caused over £2,500 damage to an in-flight console, and made a sexual gesture towards a female attendant by dipping his fingers in his wine and rubbing his crotch.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Judge Burbridge QC, told Bharaj: "On the Emirates flight you drank vodka mixed with wine and then proceeded to abuse cabin staff.

"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.

"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."

The Mirror reports that 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."

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

The defence said Bharaj was suffering with ill health and personal problems and was "ashamed and remorseful for his actions".