Passenger licked air steward

A drunken plane passenger who licked a male air steward will be released from jail after serving month on remand.

Ravi Thakur, 27, sexually assaulted the BA crew member and attacked three other members of staff on the flight to London from Houston, Texas, on 28 September.

Thakur was arrested when he landed at Heathrow Airport.

The Indian national was jailed for two months at Isleworth Crown Court but he will be released immediately because he has served half the term at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

Judge Nicholas Wood said: ‘It seems to me this is at the lower level of the sentencing guidelines.

‘The punishment is the very fact of having the sexual offence of licking a male member of staff at British Airways.

‘I have come to the view that the four weeks served has been a very sanitary experience.

‘You’ve had your chance today, if you do anything like this again you’ll be talking months not weeks.’

Ruth Bowskill, from the CPS, said: ‘Ravi Thakur was drunk on board an aircraft and his behaviour on a long-haul international flight was unacceptable.

‘Cabin crew should not have to tolerate such treatment and should be able to go about their work without fear of assault.

‘The CPS will robustly prosecute those who assault cabin crew or aircraft passengers where there is the evidence to do so.’

Thakur, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of assault by beating, sexual assault on a male and being drunk on an aircraft.

He was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment but will be released immediately.

Thakur’s family had paid for private legal representation, the court heard