Arrest Warrant Issued for Man Who Threatened Ryanair Flight Attendant

The events took place on July 15, 2019. That day, a passenger asked for an alcoholic drink, but was met with the refusal of the flight attendant. Jelena Zuravska said she had already served four glasses of alcohol to Mohammed Shiraz Riaz. The insults rained down. "You fucking fat flight attendant," the passenger told her as he headed for the toilet. Frightened, the flight attendant slipped a note under the cockpit door asking the captain to call the police before landing at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. Other passengers on the flight had intervened to prevent Mohammed from hitting Jelena.

The case was brought before the Wirral Magistrates’ Court. The defendant was absent from his trial on May 7, reports Liverpool Echo. The plaintiff, Jelena Zuravska, was, on the other hand, present. She recounted that Mohammed had initially asked her for four Jack Daniels with Coca and a sandwich, and that she had served him. He then asked for another drink while she was busy, according to her account. Riaz, who was going to the toilet, muttered insults. "You fucking fat flight attendant," she said she heard. Jelena claims to have remained professional and suggested he sit down and eat something. "At that point, I made the decision not to serve him any more alcohol, I didn’t want to make the situation worse," she added.

According to her testimony, Riaz sat for a while, but was "constantly" asking for more alcohol. "I said no and he became more aggressive and noisy. [...] He started verbally attacking me [...]. I tried to stay as calm as possible and be professional for the safety of the other passengers. I just felt like he was trying to provoke me. [...] As he became more aggressive towards me, other passengers intervened to try to calm the situation. One even wanted to hit him on my behalf," continues the plaintiff, describing a misogynist. Guerino Ferrara, another member of the cabin crew, confirmed the facts.

The day after the events, Mohammed declared, in an interview, that Jelena Zurvaska "exaggerated everything, turning a small situation into a serious situation." He had admitted to being drunk and having taken two tramadol tablets and two ibuprofen tablets. Accused of being drunk on a plane and assaulting a worker, he was found guilty by default. Likewise, an arrest warrant was issued against him by judges B. Cross and G. Brennan.