A businessman of Pakistani origin, Salman Iftikhar, has finally been sentenced to 15 months in prison by Isleworth Crown Court in London for threatening to gang-rape a Virgin Atlantic air hostess and blow up her hotel room during a flight from London to Lahore. The shocking mid-air incident occurred on February 7, 2023, and left the flight crew traumatized, with one senior stewardess taking more than a year off work due to the psychological impact.
Iftikhar, 37, was traveling in first class with his wife and children when he became abusive towards the cabin crew after consuming alcohol. Witnesses reported that he had been drinking champagne at the onboard bar before starting a confrontation with staff. He was told to return to his seat after helping himself to ice with his bare hands, which prompted an outburst of rage.
The situation escalated quickly when Iftikhar accused senior flight attendant Angie Walsh of racism. He shouted, “You called me a p*** in front of everyone,” and followed up with foul-mouthed abuse, including, “Don’t tell me what to do, you racist f***ing bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.” He continued his tirade by threatening other members of the crew, including male flight attendant Tommy Merchant, whom he grabbed and challenged to a fight.
Most disturbingly, Iftikhar went on to threaten Walsh with graphic sexual violence and terrorism. He revealed the exact hotel and floor where the Virgin Atlantic crew would be staying in Lahore and threatened in typical jihadist style, “The white sheep s***ing bitch will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up, and it will disappear. You will be dragged by your hair from your room, gang-raped, and set on fire.” His threatening tone and specific knowledge of the crew’s accommodation deeply alarmed the flight attendants.
Crew members were so alarmed by the threats that they considered diverting the flight to Turkey. When informed of this, Iftikhar flew into an even greater rage. He threatened the crew, boasting about his high level of contacts. Witnesses reported that Iftikhar’s wife and children tried repeatedly to calm him down during the ordeal. His children were visibly distressed, and his wife attempted to restrain him physically, but he shoved her away as he continued his verbal rampage.
Despite the gravity of the incident, authorities didn’t arrest Iftikhar upon arrival in Lahore. In fact, it wasn’t until over a year later, on March 16, 2024, that he was arrested at his luxury £1 million home in Iver, Buckinghamshire. By that time, he had already resumed his lavish lifestyle, reportedly living with two wives, one in the UK and one in Pakistan, and owning luxury cars and property.
Iftikhar was a director of a recruitment firm named Staffing Match, and had previously presented himself as a successful entrepreneur. Reports suggest that his company had collapsed during COVID-19, leaving millions in debt.
During court proceedings, he pleaded guilty to charges of making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. He was acquitted of physical assault against crew member Tommy Merchant. His defense claimed that he had experienced “amnesia and blood loss” during the incident and cited long-standing alcohol and drug problems. However, the judge rejected his claims of remorse and noted that he had a prior criminal record involving 15 offenses, including drunk driving and assault.
Judge Rufus Alexander, who handed down the sentence, described the abuse as “appalling” and cited the lasting impact on the victim. Angie Walsh, who had been with the airline for over 30 years, was deeply impacted by the incident and was signed off work for 14 months. In her victim impact statement, she said, “I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess … but this incident has broken me … never in my entire career flying have I not been sure what to do.”
Virgin Atlantic condemned the behavior in a statement, praising the crew’s professionalism and reiterating the airline’s zero-tolerance policy for abusive passengers. “Our crew acted with the highest professionalism in handling this terrifying situation,” the airline said, adding that they are committed to supporting staff who face abuse while on duty.
Maria V says
Nothing surprising here. That’s called entitlement behavior by these beasts…
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The surprising thing was Salman Iftikhar being arrested in the first place, let alone sentenced. One would have thought that arresting him would have been considered islamophobic
Hoi Polloi says
His wife is out defending him, of course. What does she care about rape threats.
I suspect it’s like the Manchester Airport attacks where authorities lied until someone leaked video of what actually happened, forcing them to be seen dealing with the muslim’s violence. That also took about a year.
Taffy says
Methinks that Iftikhar suffers from Islam rather than alcohol or drug abuse.
It is a good thing that the authorities waited for Iftikhar to come to Britain, 🇬🇧 rather than involve the Pakis or Turkey. Those Muzzie countries would have been sympathetic to his actions and they would have run interference for Iftikhar so he ever would have been prosecuted.
somehistory says
It’s really too bad the lady had to say that it ‘had broken’ her. That was music to the ghoul’s ugly ears.
Perhaps he’ll suffer “blood loss and amnesia” while incarcerated, forgetting that he’s a scuzzy muzzie. If the “blood loss” is great enough, he might come out feet first.
gravenimage says
Agreed Somehistory.
Hoi Polloi says
It worries me that the airline employees names are so widely published. They’re now targets for muslims all over the world.
Paul says
lol maybe this was a way of him proposing for a third wife since he’s got two.
Wouldn’t the wife in Pakistan and the children be eligible to come to the uk and get free stuff? Interesting question because polygamy is illegal in uk, but the kids are still his.
rick says
Is this drunken worthless pig in jail, serving his sentence or not? I do not believe anything when it comes to sentencing Muslims for their drunkenness, threatening the lives of non Muslims or doing anything a normal non Muslim might do to be arrested and put in a jail. The Brits are known for treating criminal Muslims with kid gloves. So I repeat Is he or is he not now serving his time of 14 months?In what prison is he doing his time if he actually is doing time. Of all the people in the world the very last that deserve “understanding” by the police or Justice system in any “infidel” nation, are Muslims. They only thing they do deserve is deportation back to Pakistan or whatever Muslim nation they actually come from.
rick says
Ban him from all British owned airlines. Ban him from entering Britain. Make him a poster child of a worthless so called human being who is barred from England. Notify all airlines, especially Paki ones that he is unwlecome in Britain and if he is allowed to fly on a Pakistani airline or any Muslim one, he will be put back on a return flight immediately and the Pakistani airline will have to figure it out as to how they do that. If he manages to get through customs and is arrested later he must serve a term of at least 5 years in the most notorious prison in England preferably as north as possible so he can enjoy his cell in the dead of winter. He deserves to suffer. He actually deserves not to live but that is hoping for too much justice.
Big Dude says
This is going to be the norm
And of course supported by the police
The stewardess will be the one going to prison for enticement
Idiots in Europe .. you wanted these people, well you idiots got the .. .in spades
They are going to be the new England
David Morley says
You’re right. Why this country doesn’t wake up I just don’t know.
Kuffar says
Just open the door and let him out… At 30000 feet. Eff Em
Reader says
C’mon man, his defense will be that he was only joking.
After all, wasn’t it Mohammed who put the “fun” into “fundamentalism”!
somehistory says
He has been sentenced. No more defense for this crime.
England Invaded says
This guy does all this on a plane gets such a short sentence and a long time to be held accountable.
Lucy Connelly tweets something which has no consequences, 31 months in prison.
No two tier justice in the UK of course.
Note this scumbag claimed falsely he was called a ‘paki’ as well. An accusation always made by them.
He is a paki scumbag though.
Reader says
It’s the same as Canada, where they judge the sentence by your ethnicity. #TwoTierKier and #TwoTierJustice seem to come up on X as common hashtags.
England Invaded says
I am somewhat aware of Canadas woes. Shame, because it was on target for a Conservative Government.
Not a popular view with some but I hold Trump to blame for that with all his tariff and 51st state bollocks. It got the backs up of Canadians and they saw the Conservative guy similar to him.
He needs to learn when to shut up at times.
I understand Canada has had countless from the Indian sub-continent in recent years? Turning places into slums.
Reader says
Except I think DJT did it on purpose for the benefit of the USA because Prime Minister Mark Carney holds interests in 103 companies. I suspect many of those are US companies, so Trump can use that as leverage on Carney to the detriment of Canada.
gravenimage says
Yes–compare and contrast.
Westman says
“…his wife attempted to restrain him physically, but he shoved her away as he continued his verbal rampage.”
If your religion teaches you are superior to your mother and all infidels, why would you respect your wife or infidel airline workers?
Alcohol removed this man’s natural control to stop his verbalizing of thoughts having social/civic consequences – revealing the potential of Islamic conditioning on men already disposed to aggression. This man is a hair-triggered potential jihadi.
abu taleb says
He is just doing what Islam says, if you are against his action, then you are Islamophobia.
Troybeam says
He violated sharia law by drinking champagne, felt entitlement to speak to people like he did because of sharia law. Sharia law is evil & people need to read this book to get a full grasp of what Islam is and why it does what it does. Book: Reliance of the Traveller : Islamic Sacred Law.
Forget any other Islamic books.as Reliance book covers them.
James Lincoln says
According to the feature article:
“Crew members were so alarmed by the threats that they considered diverting the flight to Turkey.”
Turkey?
Why not Poland or Hungary?
somehistory says
Perhaps, James, they considered opening a door and pushing him out.
Westman says
😉 You can be certain it came to their sober minds.
Feisty Granny says
Can’t – the suction would pull people out of the plane.
somehistory says
Reply to feisty,
Nope. See James’ reply below.
People jump from planes, things are thrown from planes and the *suction* doesn’t pull them out.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
Yes, at a low enough altitude where the plane could be depressurized first!
gravenimage says
If they’d set down in Turkey I doubt this Islamic thug would be in jail now.
steve o'mara says
Lucy Connolloy got 31 months for a tweet. So twice as long as this Pakistanis 15 months. The difference I presume is Islamic privilege.
gravenimage says
Grimly true,
Brent Horton says
Give him a free flight on a Galaxy, take him up to 5000 feet, open the door, and give him a magic carpet…………………
Mike says
I don’t like the term Islamophobia at all; it implies that we’re afraid of them, and I’m certainly not. This waste of oxygen would have learned that if I’d been on the flight with him.
somehistory says
Mike ,I don’t like it either….and I’m not. It’s a fake ‘phobia.’ in any case.
mozzies want the rest of us to be in fear of them, and a lot of people may fear what it’s all about., but not irrationally.
They simply use the term as a weapon to cut down on the Truth being revealed.
Edith Weberbauer says
I call it Islamorealism.
OLD GUY says
Its amazing burning a Quran is way worse, then threatening a women and flight crew at 30 thousand feet.
Alkflaeda says
There’s a petition on the UK Government petitions website demanding “Make burning, desecration or harming religious books a specific criminal offence”. Except that we know that there’s only one book which, if it was damaged in any way, would give rise to any prosecutions. Thankfully, only 25 people have signed it so far, and it needs 10,000 signatures to qualify for debate.
gravenimage says
So true.
gravenimage says
Pakistani Businessman Jailed in London for Threatening Virgin Atlantic Air Hostess with Gang-Rape and Terrorism
………………………………………………..
Just surprised that this Muslim thug was actually prosecuted…
Hoi Polloi says
Same here.
David M says
Good to see him jailed. First of all, he’s a bad Muslim for drinking alcohol, naught naughty. Second thing, alcohol doesn’t turn you into a different person, it just takes away your inhibitions to reveal your true self. I think if you got most Muslims drunk they would come out with the same stuff, we all know they think this way.
Mike says
Understand what you meant, but not to put too fine a point on it, what does a “good” Muslim look like? 😉