A drunken passenger who assaulted a member of cabin crew during a flight into Heathrow Airport has been convicted of four criminal offences following a trial at Ealing Magistrates’ Court.
Simone de Gale, 44, of Chepstow Place, Notting Hill, was found guilty in her absence on October 15 of charges including assault by beating and being drunk aboard an aircraft.
The court heard that the incident took place on February 5 aboard a Virgin Atlantic service from Dubai to Heathrow, during which de Gale assaulted crew member Sarah Buckland.
De Gale was arrested by officers after the aircraft touched down at Heathrow. Footage from police body-worn cameras, released after the verdict, shows the moment she was detained at the airport. She told officers she had not touched anyone or anything and claimed she had recorded everything on video. After being told she was under arrest, she replied that she did not believe that was possible.
Magistrates convicted her of four offences: behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner towards a member of aircraft crew; being drunk in an aircraft; using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress; and assault by beating.
An arrest warrant has been issued for de Gale after she failed to attend court, the Metropolitan Police Service has said.
De Gale is the founder of Simone de Gale Architects, a London-based architecture practice. She has previously been photographed meeting the King and the Princess of Wales at public engagements.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she also acts as head of planning for the Belgravia Society, dealing with planning matters relating to Belgravia with Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Being drunk on board an aircraft is a specific criminal offence under British aviation law. Under the Air Navigation Order 2016, a person who is drunk on an aircraft can face up to two years in prison, while assault by beating — the legal term for common assault — carries a maximum sentence of six months in custody.
Disruptive behaviour by passengers, sometimes described as air rage, has become a growing concern for airlines and airports in recent years. Cabin crew are trained to manage difficult situations on board, but serious incidents can lead to arrest on landing and prosecution in the courts.
Police forces with responsibility for major airports work closely with airlines to deal with disruptive passengers. Officers can board aircraft after landing to detain suspects, who may then be interviewed and charged.
Magistrates’ courts deal with the majority of criminal cases in England and Wales, including less serious assaults and public order offences. Defendants who fail to attend court when required can have a warrant issued for their arrest, allowing police to detain them and bring them before the court.
Cases involving disruptive airline passengers are often heard in magistrates’ courts near major airports. Courts can impose a range of penalties, from fines and community orders to custodial sentences for the most serious offending. Prosecutors must prove each element of the offences beyond reasonable doubt, even when the defendant does not attend.
Airlines have repeatedly called for tougher action against disruptive passengers, arguing that abuse of crew puts safety at risk. Industry bodies say the vast majority of flights pass without incident, but a small minority of cases result in criminal prosecutions.
De Gale was convicted in her absence, meaning the trial went ahead without her present. The arrest warrant issued by the court means she can now be detained by police and brought before magistrates. The convictions will remain on her criminal record.
