British Airways steward facing jail after admitting mid-air bomb hoax
Mathew Davis: National News & Pictures
A British Airways steward is facing a jail sentence after today admitting leaving a bomb hoax on a plane's toilet door mid-flight.
Mathew Davis, 22, allegedly penned: "The bomb on board will explode at 16.00 GMT unless our demands are met", on the plane's loo door at 35,000ft.
The flight from Tokyo to London was carrying 150 passengers, and landed safely at Heathrow following the incident, according to The Sun.
Mr Davis was arrested and charged the following day with communicating a bomb threat, although no explosives were found after a search.
And today he pleaded guilty at Iselworth Crown Court to a single charge of communicating false information with intent, according to the Daily Mail.
Mr Davis will be sentenced next month, and, while his defence team have highlighted "mitigating circumstances" due to the death of his mother in childhood, it is still likely he will face a jail term.
The Daily Mail reports that Judge Anna Guggenheim QC said: "This young man has a history of highly unusual acts which could be described as attention seeking, but which are potentially dangerous.
"Quite evidently those around him when he caused them to fear that the plane was going to explode would have been extremely frightened, but whilst a prison sentence would provide punishment it does not address the risk of him doing something similar in the future."
In fact, the air stewardess who found the false threat scrawled on the door was "terrified".
According to the Telegraph, a previous hearing was told she was "so distressed when she read the message she was left shaking and terrified. She believed there was a bomb on board and she was going to die.
"She was constantly looking at her watch and thought her time was up."
Judge Guggenheimen, however, added: "Your early plea of guilty and acceptance of responsibility for this serious offence will stand to your credit and your sentence will be less severe."
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