Irish lawyer spat at flight attendant during drunken rant, court hears

She also called staff "Indian money-grabbing c****" and smoked a cigarette in the toilets during the tirade which left other passengers "shocked".

Burns, of First Avenue, Hove, England, pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft and assault by beating at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in the UK today.

The lawyer will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in England on April 4 after magistrates said the offence was too serious for them to deal with.

Chairing the bench, Robert Della-Sala told Burns: "You clearly put the safety of the aircraft in jeopardy by smoking. You were disruptive to other passengers who must have found the whole experience quite shocking.

"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 appeared in court with a plaster across her nose and wearing a green cardigan and black trousers with heeled boots.

Prosecuting, Lauren Smith said the nine-hour flight took off at 4.10am as Burns sat in business class with 17 other passengers.

She was given three bottles of wine with breakfast "immediately after takeoff" but began to complain when she was refused more.

Miss Smith said: "She got up from her seat and began swearing and shouting. She was shouting that she was a 'f****** international lawyer' and telling them to 'f*** off'."

She also shouted: "You f****** arses, you f****** Indian money-grabbing c****."

Burns then went into the toilet to try to light a cigarette before she was given a verbal warning three hours into the flight, the court heard.

Miss Smith said: "Her behaviour continued. She was then given a written warning by the captain. This also made no difference to Miss Burns' behaviour."

Burns then ranted: "F****** Air India is useless, I will say what I want."

Flight staff then discovered evidence she had been smoking in the toilet and there was "a smell of cigarettes coming from within".

Her tirade continued further into the flight as she got up from her seat and marched to the area where alcohol was being served to again demand more, the court heard.

She shouted: "I have done so much for you f****** Indians and f****** Pakistanis, you should be grateful to me."

A cabin supervisor, Dastur Pervin, tried to intervene but she was also told to "f*** off", shown the middle finger and assaulted, Miss Smith said.

She added: "Miss Burns was right in her face and she felt scared and when she refused to give Miss Burns more alcohol Miss Burns spat in her face."

Burns also "grabbed her by her right upper arm and squeezed it" before going on to abuse other crew members and passengers.

After touchdown, she was arrested in London by officers from the Metropolitan Police.

Burns was bailed ahead of her sentencing.