A plane thug who threatened to “gang rape” a Virgin Atlantic hostess may face a longer prison sentence after Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp referred his 15-month jail term to the Attorney General for being “unduly lenient”.
Salman Iftikhar, 37, was jailed last week for threatening cabin crew member Angie Walsh during a champagne-fuelled rampage on a first-class flight from London Heathrow to Lahore. The recruitment boss told Ms Walsh she would be “dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire” at her hotel after landing.
Mr Philp said the sentence was evidence of “two-tier justice” after comparing it to Lucy Connolly’s 31-month prison term for posting a tweet about the Southport riots. The comparison has sparked fierce online debate, with many pointing out that Iftikhar received less than half Connolly’s sentence despite making over 100 direct threats.
Letter to Attorney General
In a strongly-worded letter to Attorney General Lord Hermer, the Shadow Home Secretary wrote: “Iftikhar was sentenced to only 15 months in prison last week for threatening an air stewardess with gang rape and for racially aggravated harassment. Iftikhar has multiple previous convictions.
Yet Lucy Connolly got 31 months for a far less serious offence – a prosecution Lord Hermer personally authorised. This is two-tier justice in action.”
He added: “I have today referred the case to the Attorney General Lord Hermer for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. We’ll now find out if Hermer is willing to take action to fix Britain’s two-tier justice problem.
Shocking Mid-Air Attack
Shocking footage captured during the February 2023 incident showed Iftikhar, who was travelling with his wife and three children, repeatedly accusing Ms Walsh of racism and shouting: “You called me a p**i in front of everybody.
Isleworth Crown Court heard the father-of-three had been drinking champagne at the onboard bar when he became enraged after being told not to help himself to ice with his bare hands. What followed was described by prosecutors as one of approximately 100 tirades during the eight-hour flight.
Prosecutor Abdul Kapadia told the court: “The defendant knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew with this. He told [the stewardess]: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’.”
The threats became increasingly violent, with Iftikhar telling Ms Walsh: “You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire.” He made these threats whilst his three young children were crying and pleading for him to stop.
Victim Left ‘Broken’
Ms Walsh, who has worked for Virgin Atlantic for 37 years, attended court wearing her uniform alongside her sister Claire, also a flight attendant. In a victim impact statement, she revealed she had to take 14 months off work following the incident.
“I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me,” she told the court. “I can’t quite believe that one passenger has had this much of an impact on my job, my career and my life.”
The court heard Ms Walsh was unable to sleep during her overnight stay at the Avari Lahore Hotel after discovering Iftikhar’s threats matched their actual accommodation details. She said she felt like “what happened that day has changed my life enormously.”
Criminal Record and Sentencing
Judge Rufus Alexander described Iftikhar’s criminal record as “lengthy and appalling”, noting he has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008.
Despite the severity of his threats and his criminal history, Iftikhar received just 15 months in prison after admitting making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. He was cleared of assault by beating and threats to kill in relation to crew member Tommy Merchant.
The businessman, who founded recruitment firm Staffing Match, was seen weeping as he was sentenced. His lawyer claimed he suffered from “amnesia blood loss” during the incident and had a “long standing drug and alcohol problem which he has not addressed for many years.”
Connolly Comparison Sparks Debate
The comparison with Lucy Connolly’s case has become a flashpoint in the two-tier justice debate. The childminder was jailed for 31 months after posting on social media just hours after three girls were killed in Southport: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care… If that makes me racist, so be it.”
Connolly deleted the post within four hours, but it had been viewed 310,000 times. She launched an unsuccessful appeal against her “harsh” sentence, which was thrown out by Court of Appeal judges in May.
Her husband Raymond Connolly, Conservative vice chair of the committee on adult social care at West Northamptonshire Council, said she had been shown “no mercy” and described the decision as “shocking and unfair”.
Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme
Under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, the Attorney General has 28 days from sentencing to refer cases to the Court of Appeal if they believe the sentence is too low. Anyone can request a review, including victims, relatives, or members of the public.
The scheme only applies to serious offences dealt with by the Crown Court. In 2021, the Law Officers received 678 applications for review, with 151 referred to the Court of Appeal. Of these, 106 sentences were increased.
If the Attorney General’s Office decides Iftikhar’s sentence may be unduly lenient, they will refer it to the Court of Appeal, which could then increase his jail term. The debt-ridden tycoon, who reportedly has two wives, was arrested at his £900,000 home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, in March 2024, more than a year after the incident.
Virgin Atlantic Response
Virgin Atlantic confirmed their zero-tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour. A spokesperson said: “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive or abusive behaviour on board our aircraft.
“We will always work closely with the relevant authorities and will not hesitate to seek prosecution for those individuals that cause disruption onboard through unacceptable behaviour.”
Wife’s Defence
Iftikhar’s wife, model and influencer Abeer Rizvi, 37, posted a cryptic message on Instagram asking people to “be human” and understand “the pain behind every person’s story. Reports suggest Iftikhar is also married to another woman in the UK, who is the mother of his three children and was with him during the incident.
The case has reignited debate about sentencing consistency in the UK justice system, with critics pointing to what they see as disparities between punishments for online posts versus direct threats of violence. The Attorney General’s Office now has until early September to decide whether to refer the case for review.
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