Latest news with #Alsaaydeh
Perth Now
25-07-2025
- Perth Now
‘Bizarre' twist in ‘terrifying' plane incident
A man who tried to open the doors of a plane mid-flight and assaulted a crew member who tried to stop him has had his charges dropped after a court found he was suffering 'adverse and unusual' effects of a drug he'd only just been prescribed. Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, a 47-year-old Jordanian national, tried to open the doors of a plane in the middle of a flight coming into Sydney from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was moved to another seat where he again tried to open one of the doors, assaulting an airline crew member as staff and passengers restrained him. Mr Alsaaydeh pleaded guilty to charges of endangering the safety of aircraft and assaulting, threatening and intimidating the airline crew. The offences can carry a maximum of 10 years imprisonment; however, magistrate Jennifer Atkinson dropped the charges on Friday morning. A man who tried to open the doors of a plane mid-flight and assaulted a crew member who tried to stop him has had his charges completely dropped. NewsWire / James Gourley Credit: News Corp Australia Having spent months in custody, Mr Alsaaydeh dialled into court through an audiovisual link, often sitting with his head down and wiping away tears. The court was told how Mr Alsaaydeh had only recently been prescribed the sleeping medication Stilnox by a doctor before his flight to Australia, and it was likely side effects of the drug caused him to embark on the 'terrifying' ordeal. 'This is different to a situation where you might have been on prescription medication for a long period … what happened on that flight likely was you suffering from one of the adverse and unusual side effects of that medication,' Ms Atkinson told the court. She said she had seen previous reports of 'really bizarre behaviour' as a result of the medication, with a pharmacologist's report revealing Mr Alsaaydeh's actions as described by airline staff were consistent with the unusual side effects. 'The bizarre behaviour described by airline staff is entirely consistent with what is known as parasomnia or complex sleep behaviour associated with amnesia and hallucinations in which an individual engages in potentially dangerous actions, effectively in a sleep state, without any awareness or memory of any activity after recovering from the effects of the drug,' Ms Atkinson quoted from the report. She said Mr Alsaaydeh had previously travelled overseas to represent the Jordanian government, he was 'well regarded' in Jordan and had no criminal record. 'But on the 5th of April you got on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and you took Stilnox and other medication and what happened after that was incidents on the plane where you tried to open the door and where you assaulted cabin staff,' she said. Mr Alsaaydeh nodded as Ms Atkinson said how it would have been a 'terrifying time' for others on-board the plane. Ms Atkinson ultimately dropped the charges, with Mr Alsaaydeh set to leave Australia. 'It is inexpedient to inflict any punishment and without proceeding to a conviction I dismiss the charge,' she said. Mr Alsaaydeh immediately stood and clasped his hands together upon her decision. More to come
News.com.au
25-07-2025
- News.com.au
‘Bizarre behaviour': Charges dropped for man who tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A man who tried to open the doors of a plane mid-flight and assaulted a crew member who tried to stop him has had his charges dropped after a court found he was suffering 'adverse and unusual' effects of a drug he'd only just been prescribed. Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, a 47-year-old Jordanian national, tried to open the doors of a plane in the middle of a flight coming into Sydney from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was moved to another seat where he again tried to open one of the doors, assaulting an airline crew member as staff and passengers restrained him. Mr Alsaaydeh pleaded guilty to charges of endangering the safety of aircraft and assaulting, threatening and intimidating the airline crew. The offences can carry a maximum of 10 years imprisonment; however, magistrate Jennifer Atkinson dropped the charges on Friday morning. Having spent months in custody, Mr Alsaaydeh dialled into court through an audiovisual link, often sitting with his head down and wiping away tears. The court was told how Mr Alsaaydeh had only recently been prescribed the sleeping medication Stilnox by a doctor before his flight to Australia, and it was likely side effects of the drug caused him to embark on the 'terrifying' ordeal. 'This is different to a situation where you might have been on prescription medication for a long period … what happened on that flight likely was you suffering from one of the adverse and unusual side effects of that medication,' Ms Atkinson told the court. She said she had seen previous reports of 'really bizarre behaviour' as a result of the medication, with a pharmacologist's report revealing Mr Alsaaydeh's actions as described by airline staff were consistent with the unusual side effects. 'The bizarre behaviour described by airline staff is entirely consistent with what is known as parasomnia or complex sleep behaviour associated with amnesia and hallucinations in which an individual engages in potentially dangerous actions, effectively in a sleep state, without any awareness or memory of any activity after recovering from the effects of the drug,' Ms Atkinson quoted from the report. She said Mr Alsaaydeh had previously travelled overseas to represent the Jordanian government, he was 'well regarded' in Jordan and had no criminal record.  'But on the 5th of April you got on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney and you took Stilnox and other medication and what happened after that was incidents on the plane where you tried to open the door and where you assaulted cabin staff,' she said. Mr Alsaaydeh nodded as Ms Atkinson said how it would have been a 'terrifying time' for others on-board the plane. Ms Atkinson ultimately dropped the charges, with Mr Alsaaydeh set to leave Australia. 'It is inexpedient to inflict any punishment and without proceeding to a conviction I dismiss the charge,' she said. Mr Alsaaydeh immediately stood and clasped his hands together upon her decision.
Daily Tribune
07-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
Man arrested after attempting to open emergency exit twice on Sydney-bound flight
A Jordanian man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly tried to open two emergency exit doors mid-flight on an AirAsia X plane en route to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur. The incident occurred on Flight D7220 on Saturday evening. The passenger, identified as Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, 45, first attempted to open the rear emergency exit door while the aircraft was in the air. Cabin crew, assisted by other passengers, quickly restrained him. Following the initial incident, Alsaaydeh was moved to a different seat in the middle of the aircraft, but reportedly made a second attempt to open another emergency exit. During the restraint, he also allegedly assaulted a crew member. Upon arrival at Sydney Airport, officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Alsaaydeh. He has since been charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting a cabin crew member. He is scheduled to appear at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, April 9. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Davina Copelin condemned the passenger's actions, stating: 'This man's actions could have had tragic consequences. Passengers and crew should not have to endure unruly, violent, or dangerous behavior. The AFP will act against anyone who jeopardizes flight safety.' In a statement, AirAsia X confirmed that its trained crew members took swift action to ensure the safety of all on board, noting that at no point was passenger or crew safety compromised. The airline reiterated its zero-tolerance policy for any inappropriate behavior on its flights. Alsaaydeh's legal representative claimed that the defendant, a government employee in Jordan's nuclear waste management sector, has no prior criminal record and no memory of the incident, citing the effects of a mix of medication and alcohol taken before boarding. The case remains under investigation by Australian authorities.
The Independent
06-04-2025
- The Independent
Jordanian man charged over attempt to open doors of plane mid-flight
A Jordanian man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to open emergency exit doors and attacking a crew member on a flight from Malaysia to Sydney. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Shadi Taisser Ayed Alsaaydeh, 46, after the AirAsia flight landed at Sydney Airport on Saturday night, according to reports. Mr Alsaaydeh was charged with endangering the safety of the aircraft and assaulting the crew of the aircraft, Australian Broadcasting Corporation news reported. According to the police, he attempted to open an emergency exit latch while seated at the back of the plane. The flight crew then moved him to the middle of the aircraft where allegedly again attempted to open another emergency exit. Upon being stopped by a flight attendant, Mr Alsaaydeh is accused of assaulting the crew member. Several passengers had to step in to restrain him, the court was told, according to ABC news. He was then restrained again in his seat. Mr Alsaaydeh's lawyer has said he has no recollection of the incident and that he has no criminal history. The lawyer said Mr Alsaaydeh has a wife, three children and supports elderly parents back in Jordan. The Jordanian national has moved a bail application in a local court. The lawyer informed the court that Mr Alsaaydeh was travelling to Sydney to meet with government officials as he works for the Jordanian government in nuclear waste management. The meeting is scheduled for Monday with six government officials, he said and will cover the procedures used to transport those materials in the Middle Eastern country. The court however has refused him bail on the grounds that it would pose an unacceptable risk to the community and due to the seriousness of the offence. Mr Alsaaydeh is now expected to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday. 'Our cabin crew, who are professionally trained to respond to such situations, took all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone on board,' AirAsia said in a statement quoted by The Guardian. 'At no time was the safety of guests or crew compromised. 'AirAsia has a zero tolerance policy for [alleged] inappropriate behaviour of any kind and as per procedure alerted the AFP and relevant authorities to meet the aircraft on arrival in Sydney. 'The matter is now with the relevant authorities and as such, we are unable to comment further.'
