Drunk easyJet passenger found guilty of attempted sexual assault of child Although Ramiz Idrizi, 38, was cleared of one count of assaulting a woman, he was found guilty of attempting to sexually assault her daughter, as well as assaulting a male passenger. A man has been found guilty of multiple offences aboard a flight from Paris, including the attempted sexual assault of a girl aged under 13. While Ramiz Idrizi, 38, was cleared of one count of assaulting a woman, he was found guilty of attempting to sexually assault her daughter, as well as assaulting a male passenger who had remonstrated with the defendant. Prior to the contested hearing at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court, Idrizi, of Woodvale Avenue, Dublin, pleaded guilty to being intoxicated on an aircraft and using abusive language towards cabin crew. Throughout the four-hour hearing, the court was told details about the incident on the easyJet service from Paris to Belfast International on November 14 last year. Idrizi had drunk the majority of five small wine bottles purchased during the journey, but as the aircraft neared landing, approximately half an hour out, the young girl’s mum reported that the defendant “was kicking my seat.” During the flight, Idrizi said “I’m horny” and reached between the aircraft wall and the seat in an attempt to touch the child’s leg, prompting her to leap up. A fellow passenger seated in the same row as the mum gave evidence that he witnessed “a flash of a hand” beside the girl’s seat, and noticing both were distressed by the circumstances, he suggested swapping places. When he confronted Idrizi about his behaviour, the defendant responded by saying, “your mother’s a slut”. The court was told that moments before the incident, Idrizi had been heard “hacking up phlegm”, with a woman seated in the aisle of the same row reporting that he’d been “spitting and talking to himself”. Cabin crew were made aware of the situation and having made an announcement that alcohol was no longer being served, Idrizi was spoken to. He refused requests to hand over the last of his wine and to move seats. Instead, the passengers around him were moved but the court heard that as the plane was coming in to land, Idrizi was seen “punching the wall of the fuselage”. Giving evidence on his own behalf, Idrizi admitted that he called the passenger’s mother a slut and further, that he was intoxicated. He denied trying to touch the girl, suggesting that as a man who is six feet tall, the only time he touched her seat was to grab it when he was getting up. Idrizi also denied that he had been spitting or hacking up phlegm. Delivering his ruling however, District Judge Nigel Broderick said he was satisfied the various witnesses, both civilian and cabin crew, had given “credible and reliable evidence.” Having entered the guilty verdicts, Judge Broderick said that “I think in fairness to the defendant, I’m going to get a report”. Freeing Idrizi on bail, the judge said he would deal with the case on April 28.
