Man who threatened air steward has sentence tripled

Iftikhar's case was referred to the Court of Appeal after "several requests" from members of the public

A man who threatened to rape and murder an air steward has had his prison sentence more than tripled.

In February 2023, Salman Iftikhar, 38, from Iver, near Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire, made the threats while intoxicated on a flight from London to Lahore, Pakistan.

In August at Isleworth Crown Court, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of making threats to kill and one count of racially aggravated intentional harassment.

His sentence has been increased to four years and three months following a referral by the law officers - who are senior legal advisors to the government - to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

'Haunted and traumatised'

His abuse had continued during the eight-hour flight and he told other cabin crew their hotels would be blown up.

The crew had discussed diverting the flight to Turkey, as the abuse was so serious.

In a statement, the woman who was the main target of Iftikhar's abuse said she remained "haunted and traumatised" and had had to take 14 months off work.

Ellie Reeves MP, the solicitor general, said: "Salman Iftikhar made horrific threats of rape and violence against an air steward who was simply doing her job.

"His tirade of hate and abuse caused distress and anguish for the whole flight, and all of our thoughts today should be with the cabin crew and passengers who suffered from Iftikhar's vile behaviour."

Reeves added that his case went to the Court of Appeal after "several requests" from members of the public to review his sentence.