A 38-year-old man, Ramiz Idrizi, has been found guilty of multiple offences following a drunken disturbance on an EasyJet flight from Paris to Belfast. The court heard that Idrizi attempted to sexually assault a girl under the age of 13 and assaulted a male passenger who intervened during the incident.
Idrizi, who is from Dublin, was cleared of assaulting the girl’s mother but admitted to being intoxicated and using abusive language towards the cabin crew. Passengers reported that he kicked a seat and said, “I’m horny,” before attempting to touch the child’s leg, which caused the girl to jump up in shock.
A fellow passenger witnessed “a flash of a hand” near the girl’s seat and tried to swap places with her to protect her. In response, Idrizi hurled abuse, calling the man’s mother a “slut.”
Witnesses described further chaotic behaviour, including Idrizi spitting, talking to himself, and “hacking up phlegm.” Cabin crew responded by stopping alcohol service and trying to calm him down, but Idrizi refused to hand over his remaining wine or move seats. As the plane approached landing, he was seen punching the fuselage wall.
During the trial, Idrizi denied attempting to touch the girl, stating that he only grabbed her seat as he stood up, and also denied spitting. However, the judge dismissed these claims, describing the witnesses as “credible and reliable.”
District Judge Nigel Broderick said, “I think in fairness to the defendant, I’m going to get a report.” Idrizi was released on bail, with sentencing scheduled for April 28.
Originally published by UKNIP.
