A married businessman tried to kiss a male flight attendant after drinking vodka and wine as he and his wife returned from the Bahamas, a court heard.
Philip Gould, 64, had been drinking heavily on the BA flight from the Bahamas to London Heathrow on June 25 last year.
Gould was returning home from a luxury holiday in Grand Cayman with his wife when he slapped her and then abused the cabin crew.
When the businessman was refused more drink, he crudely propositioned a male flight attendant.
The sozzled flyer repeatedly called cabin crew ‘c***s’ before he lunged towards the cockpit door and began angrily shouting at the captain.
Gould earlier admitted sexual assault, acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft and being drunk in an aircraft.
At a new hearing today at Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Fiona Barrie adjourned sentencing until next month but warned the married businessman he faces jail.
Philip Gould, 64, had drunk vodka and wine on the BA flight from the Bahamas to London Heathrow on June 25 last year
‘This court takes a very dim view of people who behave drunk on an aircraft,’ she said.
‘A prison sentence is a likely possibility here. It is in your interests to be represented by counsel.’
Ashleigh Ettienne, prosecuting, said at an earlier hearing: ‘After three hours into the flight, the defendant appeared to be drunk and cabin crew were made aware.
‘Ten minutes later he approached the cockpit and started banging on the door and was seen shouting at cabin crew, the captain and passengers.
‘Cabin crew deemed his actions a serious safety issue so they positioned themselves between the flight deck door and the defendant.
‘The defendant pushed a cabin crew member in his chest with his arm which caused him to stumble back and bump into a passenger.’
BA staff alerted the pilot and told Gould to calm down, which only aggravated him more.
Gould then screamed at cabin crew, ‘I’ll kill you – there are not enough people on the plane to restrain me’, before he slapped his wife and grabbed her by the hair.
When a panicked air hostess tried to intervene, Gould shouted at her: ‘Why are you talking to my wife, you are a s**g. You’re pretty’.
Ms Ettienne said Gould then stood up and put his arms around her and – while doing so – kissed a male flight attendant on the right cheek before nibbling on his ear.
The prosecutor said: ‘The defendant’s escalating behaviour was frightening and he became a serious safety issue.’
Gould pictured outside Isleworth Crown Court
Gould eventually fell asleep but was arrested at Heathrow when the Boeing 777-200 twinjet touched down.
In an attempt to explain his actions, Gould claimed the combination of wine and vodka ‘had sent him over the edge.’
Manny Arora, defending, said his client suffers from PTSD and was ‘remorseful’.
He told the court: ‘He accepts he consumed some vodka. But when he entered the aircraft, he was not intoxicated.’
Gould, of Woking, Surrey, was wearing blue jeans and a puffer jacket in court this morning.
He earlier admitted being drunk in an aircraft, sexual assault on a male, two counts of assault by beating and recklessly acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft.
Gould was granted unconditional bail ahead of sentence on February 11.
He is formerly director of a business management consultancy firm called Blacklight Management, which he ran with his wife, according to Companies House documents.
