Plane rampage grandfather-of-25 who exposed his penis and slapped an American TV exec

Plane rampage grandfather-of-25 who exposed his penis and slapped an American TV exec after downing five glasses of wine on BA flight from New Orleans to London is spared jail

• Hatam Hamad, 56, was on BA flight from New Orleans to London last week
• He necked five glasses of wine then revealed his genitals and walked around
• Hamad approached TV executive and slapped him in the chest with his hand 
• Handed a suspended jail sentence at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Friday

A grandfather-of-25 who marched through a packed plane with his genitals exposed and slapped a senior US TV executive on the chest has been spared jail.

Hatam Hamad, 56, necked five glasses of wine then revealed his genitals on a British Airways flight from New Orleans to London last week.

He marched down the aisle and attacked father-of-two Joel Vilmenay, who was with his wife and young children.

Furious Mr Vilmenay, president of New Orleans TV channel WDSU, then confronted the Palestinian and American dual national – but he ‘responded by grunting’ and exposed himself to another passenger, a court heard.

Father-of-nine Hamad, who runs a family petrol station in New Orleans, was handed a six-week jail sentence at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Friday, suspended for one year, after he admitted assault by beating.

Prosecutor Wendy Barrett said the incident unfolded about six hours into the British Airways BA224 flight on October 10.

Reading a statement from Mr Vilmenay, she said: ‘He explains he was travelling with his wife and two children, aged eight and five, he had just taken his daughter to the bathroom and returned to his seat.’

Mr Vilmenay, who was not in court, added in the statement: ‘After about five minutes a male, Mr Hamad, came down the aisle to me, directly to my chair where I was sitting with my kids.

‘My daughter was awake and my son was asleep. This male had his penis out and exposed within three inches of my face.

‘At this time I felt shocked and then attempted to stand up and shouted at the male, ‘what are you doing?’

He said Hamad refused to put his penis away and ‘responded by grunting’ before exposing it to another passenger.

Mr Vilmenay said: ‘At this moment he used the back of his right hand and slapped me in the chest with some force.

‘I was very concerned by what he might do to me and my family and the other passengers around us.’

Cabin crews were alerted to the incident on Aisle 23 and were forced to take Hamad to the back of the aircraft where he was guarded for the rest of the flight.

Miss Barrett said: ‘Mr Vilmenay sat back down and was concerned obviously about his daughter being exposed to this behaviour.

‘Cabin crew, once alerted, approached Mr Hamad. He had to be escorted to another part of the plane.

‘Other passengers were moved from the very back row.

‘Because of his behaviour a member of the flight crew stayed with him for the remaining period of the flight. Mr Vilmenay, he was made to feel angry, upset.’

His statement added: ‘At the time I was shocked and felt threatened, I was very concerned for my son, daughter and wife.’

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