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Crime

09th Feb 2022

British man arrested at Heathrow after alleged rape on flight from New York

Danny Jones

Scotland Yard were waiting for him when the plane touched down

A British man has been arrested at Heathrow Airport after allegedly raping a woman on a flight back to the UK.

The victim said she was attacked and raped by the 40-year-old man during a business class overnight flight from New York state while other passengers slept.

After informing the cabin crew of the assault, United Airlines cabin staff called ahead to inform police.

According to The Sun, officers from Scotland Yard boarded the jet at Terminal 2 at 6.30am on January 31 and arrested the man on suspicion of rape.

Following his arrest, police then searched the cabin and went on to take his fingerprints, a mugshot, and DNA samples while he was in custody. The man has since been released under investigation; his identity has not yet been released.

The Sun went on to say that the two passengers were strangers and sat on entirely different rows of the plane, but had been talking and drinking with each other in the cabin’s lounge during the flight.

Authorities confirmed that “the complainant, a woman, is being supported by specialist officers and enquiries are ongoing.”

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