A married businessman who kissed a flight attendant and nibbled his ear during a British Airways flight has been sentenced to 14 months in prison. Philip Gould, 64, from Woking, Surrey, admitted to sexual assault and other offences after a drunken outburst on a flight from Nassau, Bahamas, to London Heathrow on June 25 last year.
Gould, who was travelling with his wife, had consumed vodka and wine before assaulting her and then targeting cabin crew. After being denied more alcohol, he told a male flight attendant: 'I could take you to the toilet and give you the best blowjob of your life.' He also repeatedly called crew members derogatory names and lunged at the cockpit door.
The court heard that Gould pushed a crew member, causing him to fall onto passengers, and slapped his wife in the face. He also grabbed her by the hair and shouted at a female flight attendant. At one point, he kissed a male flight attendant on the cheek and nibbled his ear.
Judge Hannah Duncan said Gould's behaviour was 'truly upsetting and frightening' to other passengers and could not be excused as 'playful banter'. She added: 'Anyone on that plane is unlikely to ever forget it. Those who get drunk on aircraft must expect prison sentences.'
Gould pleaded guilty to sexual assault, acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, being drunk on an aircraft, and two counts of assault by beating. He was sentenced to 14 months for endangering the aircraft, with concurrent lesser sentences for the other offences.
