Simone Burns flew into a rage after being refused booze, court hears
A human rights lawyer who hit headlines last year after footage emerged of her verbally abusing cabin crew on a London-bound flight has pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and assault by beating.
Simone Burns, known as Simone O’Broin, was flying as a business class passenger on an Air India flight from Mumbai to Heathrow last November when cabin crew refused to serve her more alcohol.
According to reports, the 50-year-old from Hove was initially served three bottles of wine with breakfast but yelled “I’m a f****** international lawyer” when she was denied more by Air India staff, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court heard.
Prosecuting, Lauren Smith, said: “She was shouting that she was a ‘f****** international lawyer’ and telling staff to ‘f*** off'” and called them ‘f****** Indian money-grabbing c****’.”
It’s also been reported that the lawyer spat in the face of a cabin supervisor and smoked a cigarette in the toilets.
Magistrate Robert Della-Sala told Burns:
“The disruption was clearly over a long period of time, the level of racist abuse was prolonged and unwarranted — there’s no excuse for that. The spitting in the face must have been one of the most awful things that can happen to anybody, given the transmission of diseases.”
Burns will be sentenced on April 4 at Isleworth Crown Court.