Woman and girl sentenced following security breach at Gatwick Airport
They tried to sneak onboard a flight without a valid passport
A woman has been sentenced after she was found guilty of assault and a security breach at Gatwick Airport in Crawley.
Mistura Alade, 45, and a girl who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had booked a flight to Milan from the airport.
But Alade had not checked a passport expiry date.
The law requires a passport holder to have at least three months left before expiry to allow them onward travel.
Alade and the girl left the boarding area when informed by staff, but then later tried to sneak aboard the flight.
In the process, they broke through a security door and through an emergency exit, setting off two alarms.
They also bundled past an airport worker, causing him to fall heavily on a staircase.
Airport security and police officers arrived swiftly on the scene to arrest Alade and the girl within moments of the alarm being activated.
Alade, formerly a supermarket worker of Lower Ground Close, Birmingham, appeared before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on January 9.
She was found guilty of assault by beating, and of entering a restricted area in breach of a conditional permission to enter, contrary to the Aviation Security Act.
Alade was sentenced to a one-year community order with a requirement to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) sessions.
She must also pay £200 in compensation to the airport staff member who was injured.
The court was told how the incident happened on February 22 last year.
The incident on the staircase left the airport worker injured and off work for several weeks as a result.
Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Ian Warncken from Gatwick CID said: “Alade was told that she would not be able to travel to Milan and was informed of where she could obtain help within the airport.
“She was removed from the passenger list as a result.
“But instead of seeking help, she instead attempted to sneak on board the aircraft, and refused to listen to staff members.
“Her reckless and selfish behaviour put herself in danger as well as other air passengers after she entered a restricted area of the airport, at one stage potentially attempting to board the wrong aircraft.
“She then claimed she did not know what she was doing was wrong, despite setting off two alarms.
“It is a reminder that it is every passenger’s responsibility to ensure that their passport is within date and valid for onward travel.”
The second passenger was also found guilty of the same offences. She was sentenced to a Youth Referral Order for four months and was ordered to pay £30 in compensation.