Latest news with #SalmanIftihar
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Plane thug who threatened to ‘gang rape' hostess may get longer in jail after MPs wife handed DOUBLE for Southport tweet
A PLANE thug who threatened to "gang rape" a hostess may get longer in jail after an MPs wife was handed double the term for a migrant tweet. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has referred Salman Iftihar's 15-month sentence to the Attorney General for being "unduly lenient". 6 6 6 He said the term was evidence of "two-tier justice" after Lucy Connolly was caged for 31 months for a tweet about the Southport riots. Mr Philp told the Mail: "Iftikar 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. "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 footage showed Iftikhar, 37, tell Virgin Atlantic crew member Angie Walsh she would be attacked in her hotel after landing. The tycoon launched into the foul-mouthed rant after downing champagne on an eight-hour flight from London Heathrow to Lahore, Pakistan. Iftikhar said Ms Walsh would be taken from her hotel room, gang raped and set on fire. He also threatened to blow-up the five-star hotel where the cabin crew were set to stay. Isleworth Crown Court heard Iftikhar has six previous convictions, including for common assault, in what the judge described as a "lengthy and appalling" rap sheet. Despite her comments, she only jailed the thug for 15 months after he admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. In contrast, Connolly was locked up for 31 months after admitting publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred. The childminder had shared a social media post just hours after three girls were knifed to death in Southport last summer. She wrote: "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 launched a bid against her "harsh" sentence but this was thrown out by Court of Appeal judges. Her husband Raymond Connolly, who is Conservative vice chair of the committee on adult social care at West Northamptonshire Council, said she had been shown "no mercy". In a letter to the Attorney General, Mr Philip pointed out Iftikhar made "over 100 sickening threats" to cabin crew as opposed to Connolly's one post. The Attorney General's Office will now decide if the sentence was unduly lenient and if so, refer it to the Court of Appeal. Dad-of-three Iftikhar, who was later revealed as a debt-ridden tycoon with two wives, could then see his jail term increased. 6 6
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Air-rage thug who threatened to gang rape stewardess is set to have 'unduly lenient' sentence reviewed - after complaints Lucy Connolly was jailed for TWICE as long over migrant tweet
A thug jailed for abusing first class cabin crew on a flight from London will have his sentence reviewed for being 'unduly lenient'. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called on the Attorney General Lord Hermer to consider recommending the Court of Appeal increase the 15-month jail term handed to Salman Iftihar. Mr Philp said the sentence was evidence of 'two-tier justice', given Lucy Connolly was jailed for 31 months for a tweet about the Southport riots. Mr Philp told the Mail: 'Iftikar 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. '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.' Recruitment tycoon Iftikhar, 37, was flying in first class when he launched a vile tirade of abuse towards Virgin Atlantic staff on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore in his homeland of Pakistan. Wealthy passengers aboard the flight watched in horror as the recruitment boss repeatedly called steward Angie Walsh a 'f***ing b****' at 39,000ft. The father-of-three later threatened to blow-up the five-star hotel the cabin crew were set to stay in. Isleworth Crown Court heard he left Ms Walsh 'broken' and 'traumatised' having declared she would be dragged out of her hotel room and assaulted. The businessman had been binging on champagne, and also tried to fight another steward and even threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay. In one clip of Iftikhar's 100 rants during the trip, he can be heard repeatedly accusing Ms Walsh of being a racist and says: 'You called me a p*ki in front of everybody.' All this unfolded in front of Iftikhar's wife and children who were crying and pleading for him to stop and had to be comforted by the cabin crew as he continued to hurl abuse for the entire flight. Iftikhar was later arrested at his detached home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, and admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. The post, which she later deleted, said: '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' He and his wife Erum Salman, 38, run a London-based staffing company that provides training to businesses working in customer service and manufacturing. Mr Philp compared his sentence with that of councillor's wife Connolly, who was jailed after admitting to making her 'racist' post on X, formerly known as Twitter in the wake of the Southport riots. The post, which she later deleted, said: '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.' She lost an appeal to shorten her 31-month sentence earlier this year. In his letter to Lord Hermer, Mr Philp said Connolly - who is due for release later this month - 'made a wrong and distatesful social media post', but said Iftikhar made 'over 100 sickening threats' to cabin crew, and has previous convictions. Mr Philp wrote: 'I am sure you agree that this cannot be right. 'Given the severity of the threats and the vile language used by Iftikhar, I believe his sentence should be reconsidered and increased and I urge you to refer his case for review under the Unduly Lenient Scheme, which covers the offences for which Iftikhar was convicted. 'If you decide not to refer his sentence for reconsideration, then this would be yet another example of two-tier justice under this Government.' The scheme allows anyone to ask for a Crown Court sentence to be reviewed by the Attorney General's Office (AGO). If officers consider the sentence unduly lenient, they can ask the Court of Appeal to review the sentence. It will then be up to judges to decide whether or not the original sentence was appropriate. The offence of making threats to kill carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, but can be dealt with by a community order. Racially aggravated harassment carries a maximum jail term of up to two years' custody.
