A HIGH school teacher who sexually assaulted an air steward on board a plane as it came into land at Edinburgh Airport has been warned he is facing a jail sentence.
Sebastian Russo was travelling on a Ryanair flight from Krakow in Poland to Edinburgh when he intentionally touched the woman on her behind as she attended to another passenger.
Russo, 39, was flying into the Scottish capital from his home in the Czech Republic to spend the Christmas holidays with his mother at her home in Glasgow last December.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told Russo is an Italian national and is employed as a science teacher at a high school in the Czech Republic.
The court heard Russo was on board the flight as it prepared to land in Edinburgh when he sexually assaulted the female member of the cabin crew by placing his hand on her buttocks.
The assault was described as “a firm touch but not a grab” and after the victim carried on with her duties she later reported the incident to the police.
Russo was arrested by officers after the aircraft landed at Edinburgh Airport on December 21 last year.
Solicitor Anna Mackay, defending, said her client had been drinking alcohol on board the flight and was travelling to his mother’s home in Glasgow to spend the Christmas holidays with her.
Ms Mackay said Russo had “inexplicably” sexually assaulted the female steward and that he was “absolutely mortified” at appearing in court on the sex charge.
The lawyer added Russo was an Italian national working as a science teacher at a high school in the Czech Republic and he and his partner were was expecting their first child together next month.
Sheriff John Cook said: “There are a number of aggravating features involved in this matter.
“First of all it is a sexual assault, secondly the complainer was in the course of her employment and thirdly it took place on board an aircraft.
“The reality is that I should advise you that custodial sentences have been handed down by this court for similar offences – it is serious matter.”
Russo, who gave an address in Hyndland, Glasgow, was placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis and sentence was deferred to next month for social work reports to be prepared.
Russo pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a member of Ryan Air cabin crew by placing his hand on her buttocks without her consent on board an aircraft from Krakow, Poland, to Edinburgh Airport on December 21 last year.
The Crown accepted not guilty pleas to charges of Russo behaving in an abusive, disorderly and insulting manner towards cabin crew by shouting, swearing, screaming, failing to obey instructions and acting in an aggressive manner, and to being drunk on board the same flight.