Turns Out, the Qatar Passenger That Claimed to Be Bit by Spider Is a Fraud

Brown Recluse Spider sitting on a white background.

In 2015, lawyer Jonathon Hogg claimed that he was bitten by a brown recluse spider on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Cape Town. He is taking action against the carrier and is seeking damages, but he has been labeled “a fraudster” following evidence given against him by an unidentified witness.

A lawyer who is taking action against Qatar Airways after claiming that he was bitten by a brown recluse spider on a flight from Doha to Cape Town has been called “a fraudster,” The Daily Mail reports.

The dispute involves Jonathon Hogg, who in 2015 publicly claimed that he had been bitten by the spider while traveling with the airline. Hogg has stated that, as a result of the incident, he had to undergo multiple operations on his leg and is attempting to sue the airline for damages. By his own account, Hogg said in an interview that, after being bitten, his leg looked like “something from a horror film”.

However, according to proceedings in the High Court in London – where the case is being heard – Qatar’s legal team has accused Hogg of “fundamental dishonesty.” The airline denies that the bite happened while Hogg was traveling as a passenger with Qatar.

The outlet also reports that an unidentified witness has also revealed that Hogg confessed that “essentially his case was bogus, and that he was pursuing it because he could not afford to buy a house.”

Speaking more specifically, Judge John Leslie was quoted as saying, “Someone who we have all referred to as XD came forward and was seen by the airline’s solicitor.”

Hogg, however, refutes this and says that the bite happened on the flight and remembers hearing crew exclaim, “Look out, there’s a spider.” Although the cause of Hogg’s medical condition was initially unclear, he states that he was eventually told that he had been bitten by the spider.

However, Qatar has stated that Hogg’s injuries originated from an earlier insect bite or infection that he may have contracted in Indonesia prior to his trip with the airline.

The court has ruled that the identity of Hogg’s accuser needs to be revealed in order for Qatar to continue its case against him.

Offering his comments, the judge said, “Mr. Hogg is a non-practicing member of the bar, working as a lawyer for his employers. If he is found to be a fraudster, it’s submitted that not only could he lose his job, but he may very well also face disbarring.”

The case will be heard in full later in the year.

[Featured Image: Shutterstock]