Vile rape attempt as EasyJet passenger unleashes sickening assault mid-flight | UK | News
An easyJet passenger has been found guilty of attempting to rape a woman during a flight. A woman in her 30s, traveling alone from Naples, Italy, to Edinburgh, sat next to Nicola Cristiano, exposed herself and forced his head towards her genitals.
The court heard the woman, who was granted anonymity for life, was sitting by the window reading a book when the 45-year-old man moved in with her. He said: “I think I ordered some wine from the hostess and made a funny face because it wasn’t a very good wine.” The defendant then took out some wine from his bag in the overhead locker and gave it to her, and the woman said she drank it. The court heard Cristiano attacked him shortly after take-off on May 13 last year.
He said the 45-year-old woman put her hand on his leg, leaving him “a bit stunned”. She said: “He was very persistent. He tried to kiss me on the mouth.”
He then unbuttoned her pants, touched her breast and tried to force his hand and head towards her exposed crotch.
She said: “I was holding back. I think at one point I told him my husband was sitting in front to make him think there was someone to stop him but it didn’t make any difference.
“I had a plan to ask to move the seats when the cabin crew approached me, but no one passed me during the incident,” he said. BBC.
She then motioned for him to come to the bathroom, but she told him to leave first. Once in the toilet, he alerted the cabin crew to the attack, which prevented him from leaving the facilities.
The victim said she was “hysterical” and “crying” after the incident. Cabin crew told the court the woman became visibly uncomfortable when she described the sexual assault.
Cristiano was arrested after the plane landed at Edinburgh Airport. Forensic evidence showed that a trace of Cristiano’s semen was found on the victim’s cheek.
Cristiano admitted as evidence that he had sexual intercourse with the woman, but denied the charge of attempted rape. “It turned me on. It excited me,” he said. He initially claimed it was consensual, but the victim later changed his mind.
Following a three-day trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, jurors unanimously found Cristiano guilty of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape his victim.
Judge Alison Stirling placed him on the sex offenders register and adjourned sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh until February 6 to allow time to prepare a background report on him.
Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, of Police Scotland’s Public Protection Unit, said she hoped this would give victims the confidence to come forward.
They said: “Cristiano will now face the consequences of his despicable actions and I hope this will bring comfort to his victim.
“He deliberately approached a woman traveling alone on the plane and sexually assaulted her. Fortunately, the woman had the opportunity to warn the cabin crew and was taken to another part of the plane where it was safe.
“I also hope that this conviction gives confidence to anyone who has been a victim of a sexual crime to come forward. We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we have specially trained officers to provide support.”
