Brentford Man Claims Bin Laden Contacts

Drunken boasts on flight lead to him being handcuffed

A Whitestile Road resident caused consternation on a Virgin flight from Shanghai after he boasted that he had connections with Osama Bin Laden.

36 year old Moustafa Moufaden had become enraged when the crew refused to let him buy more alcohol. He demanded that the Captain should call his bank and check his credit rating whilst moving around the passenger area and boasting about his contacts with the Al Qaeda leader.

A stewardess needed to summon her male colleagues for help and the man was place in hand and leg cuffs at the back of the plane where he continued to act aggressively. Police met the flight at Heathrow and arrested him although he denied acting in a disruptive manner.

However in Court he later admitted that he had been drunk on the aircraft. His defence counsel pointed out that he had never been in trouble with the law before and he requested assessment for alcohol treatment on behalf of his client. The judge said that a custodial sentence remained an option.

September 15, 2006