Ryanair passenger dodges jail after admitting to inappropriate behaviour on board flight

A Ryanair passenger who admitted sexually assaulting a flight attendant as a plane was about to land has dodged jail.

Sebastian Russo was flying on the flight from Krakow to Edinburgh when he touched the cabin crew member on the behind.

The 39-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and gave an address in Hyndland, in Glasgow.

Russo is currently employed as a science teacher at a high school in the Czech Republic and was flying into Scotland to spend the Christmas holidays with his mother on December 21 last year when the incident happened.

The Italian pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a member of Ryanair cabin crew by placing his hand on her buttocks without consent on board an aircraft from Krakow.

Solicitor Anna Mackay previously told the court her client had been drinking alcohol on board the flight and he had “inexplicably” sexually assaulted the female steward by touching her bottom.

She added Russo was “absolutely mortified” that he was appearing in court on the sex charge and that he and his partner were expecting their first child together.

The assault was described as “a firm touch but not a grab” and Russo was arrested by police officers after the aircraft had landed at Edinburgh Airport.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Three people rescued and four bodies found after boat with Britons on board sinks off Egypt coast
• Father Christmas forced to wear SEATBELT during festive parade in health and safety ‘over-reach’
• British tourist dies at ‘psychedelic tea’ retreat dubbed ‘sacred space’ in Amazon rainforest

The Crown accepted not guilty pleas to charges of Russo behaving in an abusive, disorderly and insulting manner towards cabin crew by shouting, swearing, screaming, failing to obey instructions and acting in an aggressive manner, and to being drunk on board the same flight.

Russo returned to the dock for sentencing on Monday where Sheriff John Cook fined him £940 and placed him on the sex offenders register for five years.

Sheriff Cook said: “There are a number of aggravations to this charge; firstly it was an assault in the course of the victim’s employment and secondly the locus was on board an aircraft.

“The contact in this case was fleeting and albeit the complainer was stressed she was able to carry on with her duties in spite of that.”