Drug-Addicted Passenger Jailed for Attacking Crew and Passenger

The traveler was experiencing heroin withdrawal on a Manchester-bound Emirates flight when his behavior turned violent.

A passenger on an Emirates flight bound for Manchester, England, had to be physically restrained after attacking two members of the plane’s cabin crew while experiencing heroin withdrawal.

Mohammed Rashid, who was traveling with his family back to England from Pakistan via Dubai on August 31^st, attempted to smoke a cigarette in the lavatory in order to ease his symptoms, but ended up setting off the plane’s smoke alarms in the process. He was then approached and warned by the crew and asked to return to his seat.

The Manchester Evening News reports that Rashid next began to pace the aisles of plane, nearly stepping on a small child. His brother then apparently explained to staff that Rashid was a heroin addict. Cabin crew then gave Rashid two anti-depressant tablets in a bid to soothe him.

The effects of the pills, however, quickly wore off and Rashid once more became agitated. Cabin crew then attempted to restrain the man and during the struggle, which became violent, one member of staff was bitten in the leg. A passenger who attempted to help the crew was headbutted during the incident and it is reported that Rashid also swore violently at a female member of crew.

The plane was met by local police upon landing in Manchester and Rashid was escorted away by the authorities. He has since pleaded guilty to three charges of common assault and two public order violations at Manchester magistrates court.

In addition to being ordered to pay compensation to his victims, Rashid has also been jailed for 24 weeks. Speaking at the sentencing, Steven Palmer, the chairman of the court’s bench, said, “What happened on that day will have caused terror to all of the passengers on that flight.”

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