Father-of-two who sexually assaulted girl, 12, on plane ‘thought she was his wife’ | UK | News

A shipping company executive was sentenced to 21 months in prison for harassing a 12-year-old girl sleeping next to him on a plane, claiming she believed him to be his wife. Javed Inamdar, 34, repeatedly caressed the girl’s hand to “test the waters” before attacking her on a British Airways flight from Mumbai to London Heathrow on December 14 last year.

The girl woke up around midnight and alerted cabin crew by yelling and shouting “get away from me”, Isleworth Crown Court heard. Inamdar, a father of two, told the flight attendant that he “might have confused the young girl with his wife.” The court heard that Inamdar had no status in the UK and was provided accommodation by his employers while on conditional bail in the UK during his trial.

He was found guilty by a jury of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching her. She refused and was crying in the dock at Isleworth Crown Court with the help of a Hindi translator.

Lee Sergent, defending, said: “He comes from a different part of the world, India. He earned some of his living by helping his family in India. He was released on bail in this country because his employers supported him and enabled him to buy a house in this country.

“Being released on bail in this country caused a greater restriction on his life than a person from this country. He could not see his wife and children.

“He has no right to remain in this country and if he was given a suspended sentence he would fly out immediately.”

Cabin manager Rebecca Rooney said the girl was ‘visibly distressed’ and was ‘putting her knees to her chest and hugging herself’ just after midnight on December 14.

Miss Rooney told the court: “I asked her what happened and she said the man in the seat next to her put his hands on her jumper and touched her breast.”

The court heard the woman then walked to the back of the plane to find the man and made him sit in another seat.

Flight attendant Michelle Adams was assigned to care for Inamdar following the attack.

Inamdar, who claimed that he thought the girl was his “wife” and “fell asleep while hugging her”, said that he was also sleeping while he attacked the girl.

He also claimed that he tried to explain to the flight attendant that there was a misunderstanding. He later claimed during police interrogation: “How could anyone specifically remember all this? Did I move my hand or something like that?”

“Yes, by accident, maybe, but not on purpose; that’s 100%.”

Judge Simon Davis said: “This is a tragic incident for the young girl. You got on that plane and sat in the window seat. At that stage you thought you had the opportunity to attack her.”

“You tested the waters by brushing your hand. You shake your head, but the jury has made its decision. This was an ugly thing. This country will protect people like this young girl, especially at that young age.

“When you were terrified and protested, you ran as fast as you could and made up things you could say as a way of defence.

“I reduced the sentence because you are waiting in this country and cannot communicate with your wife, which is a tragedy in itself. I consider this as a financial factor.”

After he was convicted and taken to the cells, Inamdar shouted: “I need to call my wife to let her know what’s going on.”