An Indian man has been jailed for repeatedly groping a 12-year-old girl on a British Airways flight to “test the waters”.
Javed Inamdar alleged he had mistaken the girl for his wife when he assaulted the girl on the flight from Mumbai to London Heathrow on December 14 last year.
Inamdar also claimed he was actually asleep when he groped the child.
The young girl woke up around midnight screaming “get the f**k away from me” before immediately alerting cabin crew, Isleworth Crown Court heard.
However, the 34-year-old told a flight attendant he “may have confused the young girl with his wife”.
Despite denying the allegations throughout the trial, the father-of-two was found guilty by a jury of one count of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.
A foreign national from Mumbai, Imandar is “without status in the UK” and his employers had been providing accommodation for him while he was on conditional bail during his trial.
He wore a grey prison tracksuit while appearing in the dock at Isleworth Crown Court, where he was assisted by a Hindi interpreter and cried throughout.
Lee Sergent, defending, said: “He comes from a different part of the world in India. He has made some success of his life in India helping his family.
Javed Inamdar was jailed for 21 months at Isleworth Crown Court
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METROPOLITAN POLICE
“He has been on bail in this country because his employers have backed him and got him housing in this country.
“Being on bail in this country has had a greater restriction on his life than a person from this country. He has not been able to see his wife or children.
“He has no right to stay in this country and if he was given a suspended sentence he would be leaving straight away on a plane.”
Sentencing Inamdar, Judge Simon Davis said: “This is a tragic case for the young girl. You got on that airplane and sat yourself down on the window seat.
CRIME IN THE AIR – READ MORE:
Inamdar wore a grey prison tracksuit while appearing in the dock at Isleworth Crown Court, where he was assisted by a Hindi interpreter and cried throughout
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PA“At that stage you thought you had the opportunity to assault her. You tested the waters by brushing her hand.
“You’re shaking your head but the jury has found their verdict. That was an outrageous thing to do.
“This country will protect people like this young girl, especially at that young age.”
Judge Davis added: “I have decreased the sentence because of you waiting in this country and not being able to communicate with your wife, which in itself is another tragedy. I consider that as a material factor.”
The court was told that Inamdar was arrested after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down at London Heathrow.
He told police he was in a “deep sleep” and did not remember touching the girl and while on the plane had told a cabin crew member he thought the 12-year-old girl “was his wife” and suggested he had “fallen asleep” cuddling her.
Prosecutor Richard Burrington referred jurors to witness statements taken from fellow passengers from the flight.
A witness who was sat next to the girl said: “During the flight I went to sleep, and I was suddenly woken up by the girl next to me as she was yelling and screaming.
“I was quite startled and I asked what’s wrong – she was speaking to me and her mum.
“I heard her say the man next to her had touched her and had his hand up her top – she kept repeating this.
“She was completely freaked out – I think she might have been crying.
“The man in the seat next to her started saying he had been asleep, it was a mistake, and he hadn’t realised what he was doing.”
Inamdar was arrested after the flight from Mumbai landed at Heathrow Airport
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GETTY
The court heard a transcript of Inamdar’s interview with Detective Constable Fear, an officer based at Heathrow, during which he said he worked for a “fleet management company” and had planned to fly on to Houston, Texas from Heathrow.
After repeatedly denying the accusations and insisting it was an accident and he was asleep, DC Fear asked: “Don’t be offended by this question, but are you attracted to children sexually?”
Inamdar responded: “No, absolutely not, my own daughter is seven years old.
“My whole family, we all have first daughters’ as you know, in India, little girls are seen as goddesses, blessings of God.”
He added: “In shipping I have a very good post, I am a chief officer, everything by the grace of God is doing well in my life.
“I just want to say I’ve not done anything wrong; I had no intention, I have my own family – I’m so nervous, even now, I don’t want anything wrong happening in the future.”
Upon his conviction, he was led to the cells, shouting: “I need to call my wife to let her know what is happening.”
Inamdar, of no fixed address, was jailed for 21 months.