A man who sexually assaulted a woman as she slept during a long-haul flight to Gatwick Airport has been jailed following a police investigation and trial.

Momade Jussab, 66, of Swinfield Close, Feltham, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Sunday, 12 May, after being found guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault.

The assault occurred on a flight from Doha, Qatar to Gatwick on 28 September 2024. The court heard how the victim, a woman in her 20s who did not know Jussab, awoke mid-flight to find him sexually assaulting her.

Upon landing at Gatwick, she bravely reported the incident to Sussex Police. She has been supported throughout the investigation by specially trained officers.

Jussab was arrested and charged shortly after. In March, a jury found him guilty on all counts. He has now been handed a six-and-a-half-year extended sentence, meaning he must serve at least two-thirds in custody before he is eligible for parole. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The victim, speaking after sentencing, said:

“It has felt so hard and so traumatising to think that anyone would ever want to do that to me… The shock and disbelief at what I have experienced will never go away.”

Detective Inspector Darren Taylor, of Sussex Police’s Safeguarding Investigations Unit, praised her courage:

“This was a shocking case and a crime which has a long-term impact on the victim… We are pleased that a dangerous offender is now behind bars.”

Sussex Police continue to urge victims of sexual offences to come forward, assuring them they will be supported and taken seriously.