Man who tried to rape girl on EasyJet flight jailed | UK | News | EUROtoday

A person who tried to rape a girl on board an EasyJet flight from Naples to Edinburgh has been sentenced to 6 years in jail. Nicola Cristiano, 45, carried out the assault throughout a late night flight on May 13, 2025, after shifting seats to be subsequent to his sufferer.

The Italian nationwide repeatedly grabbed the girl by the hand and neck in an effort to pressure her to the touch his uncovered crotch, and his semen was later discovered on her cheek and lip. The man, who had been travelling to Edinburgh on a piece journey, additionally tried to kiss his sufferer and contact her breast and physique.

When he moved to a different space of the aircraft, the girl alerted cabin crew about what had occurred, and Cristiano was arrested when the flight landed at Edinburgh Airport.

He was discovered responsible of tried rape following a trial on the High Court in Edinburgh final month.

Sentencing him on the identical court docket on Friday, decide Alison Stirling referred to a sufferer influence assertion submitted to the court docket and advised Cristiano: “The complainer says the assault has left a lasting effect on her sense of safety and control. She doesn’t feel comfortable flying and travelling alone any more. She had planned another holiday this year but she doesn’t want to go on it any more.”

The decide stated: “The fact that it happened in a public setting surrounded by other people, even though she felt completely alone at the time, has been especially damaging for her. She thinks this will always have a lasting effect on her.”

The decide advised Cristiano she famous from a prison justice social work report that he had not accepted the responsible verdict.

She went on: “Custody is the only appropriate sentence with regard to the serious nature of the offending. The reasons for the sentence include punishment, expressing society’s concerns about and disapproval of your offending, protection of the public, and rehabilitation in custody.”

She additionally advised him he could be deported to Italy as soon as he had served his sentence, and he could be topic to notification necessities for an “indefinite period of time”.

Cristiano, who appeared in court docket wearing a black and gold bomber jacket and blue denims and who adopted proceedings via an Italian interpreter, confirmed no response because the sentence was handed down.

Earlier, Cristiano’s lawyer Jim Stephenson advised the court docket his shopper had accepted the complainer “did say ‘no’ on a number of occasions, and (that) he did take her hand and place it on his penis”.

He went on: “However Mr Cristiano still maintains his innocence in relation to the most serious parts of the charge.”

Speaking following Cristiano’s conviction final month, Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, from Police Scotland’s public safety unit, stated: “Cristiano will now face the consequences of his despicable actions and I hope this brings comfort to his victim.

“He deliberately approached a woman travelling alone on a flight and sexually assaulted her. Fortunately she had an opportunity to alert a member of the cabin crew and she was taken to another part of the plane where she was safe.

“I also hope this conviction gives confidence to anyone who is the victim of sexual crime to come forward. We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we have specially trained officers to provide support. Anyone wishing to report a sexual crime can do so via 101, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”